So this is Christmas

The song that is in my head the past week or so is:

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun[i]

I look back over the past year and wonder if anything has changed. There are still people in the world who live in fear, who live amongst war and violence. There are still people in our community who struggle to pay the bills and put food on the table.

Next weekend we will celebrate New Year’s Eve, and maybe make some resolutions. If you are anything like me, they don’t last long.

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

Fear, that is something we know about. Fear is easy. We fear change, we fear strangers. Each time an angel appears they say: Don't be afraid! Yet, fear is one of the easiest responses for us.

The song goes on to mention that it is Christmas for old and young, rich and poor, weak and strong, black and white.

I wonder what Christmas is like for those who rely on Mary Mac’s or the Salvos for Christmas.
I wonder what Christmas is like for people seeking asylum.
I wonder what Christmas is like in Aleppo, and Palestine.

Our Bible reading tonight started with ‘At that time’. At that time the Emperor called a census. At that time the people of Israel were under foreign occupation, the Romans ruled over the people of the middle east. Society was divided by income and status.

Into this less than perfect setting a child was born.

In some ways the world has changed a lot since that first Christmas morning – we now have electricity
and transport that gets us places faster than a donkey or on foot. We can send letters and emails, and get almost instant responses.

But in other ways, life hasn’t changed much.
We still live in fear, fear of death, fear of failure, fear of the unknown and the new.
We are still living with divisions, based on wealth and power, status, culture and faith.
and we still need to know that we are precious and that we are loved.

At that time, God came into our life and our world in a new way
Jesus was born a baby, to show us love
Jesus was born in a manger to show all creation mattered
Jesus was born that we might live to the full, being ourselves without shame.

At this time, God comes into our life and world
to show love
to be light and hope
to bring peace.

A Christmas wish:

This Christmas
I wish for you
light
to crumple up the darkness

This Christmas
I wish for you
love
to pull us closer to one another

This Christmas
I wish for you
peace
the same the angels sang

This Christmas
I wish for you
starlight
to follow on your way home

This Christmas
I wish for you
promise
to keep hope alive for you

This Christmas
I wish for you
God
newly born and in the flesh

This Christmas
I wish for you
Jesus Christ
born this night
light of the world

~ written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Listening to the Stones.http://newkilpatrickblog.typepad.com/nk-blogging/mucky-paws/

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[i] http://www.metrolyrics.com/so-this-is-christmas-lyrics-john-lennon.html