"So, this is Christmas and what have we done? Another year over and a new one has begun..."
An extraordinarily obvious observation by the song writer and yet an insight into a little soul searching and a nudge to each of us to do the same.
Let's put aside for a minute political preferences, who's in control agendas, personal convictions about government and its motives and lawmaking procedures, worries about who's really in charge, and...hey, wait a minute, that's the same kind of political environment God sent His only Son as a baby into - and not to change it or condemn it, but to live in it and save it!!
So let's go ahead and ask ourselves the question, "So this is Christmas and what have we done?" Can we include our activities this last year with those of Jesus, who though He was God, put aside his royal privileges and became like one of us, to live as one of us, be tempted as one of us, weep like one of us, be frustrated like one of us, be denied like one of us, be betrayed like one of us, and so on?
I think that too often we as Christians think we have become something that we haven't and it keeps us from living shoulder to shoulder with those in this world we live with and keeps us so separate from those whom Jesus came to save that we end up living our lives year after year frustrated that no one is coming over to "our side". Jesus brought "His side" into the lives of the people He lived with. "But although the world was made through Him, the world didn't recognize Him when He came. Even in His own land and among His own people, He was not accepted. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God...So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness."
So to quote another famous line from our culture, "...that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
So this is Christmas and what have we done...more importantly, what are we doing with what God wants to get done?
Mike
I grew up with the idea that though as a Christian I was expected to "win" belivers for Christ I was not to be "of the world."
ReplyDeleteSo, instead of walking along side of people I ended up watching them from the sidelines, giving a cheer now and then, but keeping a wall or a seperation up in my relationships that I wouldn't cross into with non-belivers. The circle of friendships I had drawn myself into included basicaly only believers.
Really, I think I was taught to fear those who didn't follow what I did, because you know,they might "drag you down", or "cause you to fall away." What a bunch of huey!
Where is faith in that? Where is the confidience in our God who has made us more than conquerors? Where is love in that? Where is God in that kind of life? It certainly isn't following Jesus example, for he lived among sinners, and it was by His life of love and truth that people were changed.
So this is Christmas, not hiding but sharing openly this life... this gift of days.