December 21, 2018

​John 1:14  and the Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory.
 
We are coming close to the culmination of the Christmas season.  Our days have been full of preparations, gift buying, gift sharing, social activities, celebrations, acts of kindness and generosity, special services of worship, Christmas carols, stores playing “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” ad nauseam, the clamor of commercialism.  Soon Christmas Eve will come and briefly  we will reflect in the candlelight  on the amazing  gift of love God has given us in the Christ Child.
 
Then Christmas morning  will follow, for many a time of  festivities primarily centered on gift exchanges and food, family and friends.  After that day, when we want a glorious White Christmas few are “ dashing through the snow” anymore because snow here too often includes hazardous ice.  The weather gets warmer and Frosty the snowman melts leaving only his hat.  Christmas decorations are put away; even if you only had a very small tree or simple décor there are pine needles everywhere.  Wrapping paper has gone out with  the trash.  Focus shifts to business and financial matters which need attention before the end of the year.
 
Although it would  seem the Christmas season has come and gone  there will remain memories of those  moments when the love of God was whispered in your ear, in your heart.  Maybe it was only a few brief seconds, perhaps in the music or a gesture of kindness or the wisdom of a child or a spoken word or the tenderness of the Christmas story, but it was a glimpse of something bigger, more loving, liberating, joyous, hopeful, peaceful. Let us be  receptive to God’s Christmas gift to us, a whispered holy message, a glimpse of God’s glory through Jesus Christ. Long after the decorations are put away for another year, that gift will remain with us  and sustain us.
 
Charlotte Nabors