Christmas
There’s nothing like a royal pregnancy!
For some it’s a wonderful bit of romance. For others a matter of mockery. This month, a privacy-invading prank on William and Kate caused awful harm. But, most of us were only wise after the event, as we rushed for a scapegoat.
I care little for celebrity gossip about English royals. But 2000 years ago, in David’s royal town… Hark, the herald angels sang! And wise men came bearing gifts. All for a baby born not in a palace, but a livestock food trough.
For me, that’s a royal birth worth getting excited about. And if Christmas still has any appeal beyond consumerism, then only that royal birth can power it.
Christians can overdo the clichés. Here’s my list of banned Christmas sermon phrases: Jesus is the reason for the season. Wise men still seek Jesus. And worst pun of all: Jesus is the only ‘presence’ I need.
But clichés exist because they capture a certain truth. And our keenest desire is to say: Jesus still matters today!
For example, Jesus grew up and famously taught us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Isn’t forgiveness a message that radio shock-jocks and hospital administrators and media moguls and greedy consumers and self-righteous preachers all need to hear?
So this Christmas, Christians around the Gong and beyond welcome you to our churches to celebrate the royal birth that matters most.
Jesus is CHRISTmas!