Jesus is the reason for the season. All around us, in shopping malls, school concerts and skating rinks we hear traditional carols being sung and played and guess what? Almost all of them proclaim the coming of Christmas…that’s Christ mass.
This week there was a discussion on songs at the Secondary School my daughter attends. Some kids were upset on the chat that the teacher was ‘imposing her views’ on them by choosing a ‘Christian song’ to sing that referred to the love and light within us. Some even took her picture and photoshopped a nun’s costume onto her. She is ‘so radical.’ That very night, the same crowd attended a community kids’ choir of 260 who sang all the traditional ‘Christmas songs’ including Mary Did You Know, Hark the Herald Angels Sing and yes, Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. There were standing ovations and clapping and nothing but joy and approval from the audience. Do we even listen to the words that we sing? Do we even notice the lyrics being played all around us? Do we stop to consider, realistically, what Christmas is all about on a daily level and not just when we read the Christmas story, buy a nativity scene or light the advent wreath? This week we will take a closer look at each of the weeks of advent and we are going to do it in one week. Untraditional, sure. But the message is not just for Sunday. The message is for us each and every day, and especially as we look forward to December 25th with our shopping for others, wrapping of gifts, planning the big feast and visiting with those we love. The message is ADVENT. The timing is Christmas. But in reality, the reason for the season has not changed. The hope, peace, joy and love we celebrate each week prior to Christmas is real and alive and is a message that is for each of us each day. And thank God that it is. Today’s reading is simply 4 verses meant to remind you of the blessings for TODAY of hope, peace, joy and love.
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord…The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world…For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’…He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life…This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and laying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:8-11; John 1:9; John 8:12; John 3:16, 17)
Hope, peace, joy and love, all possible because of the fulfillment of those four verses. All possible because of the baby born in a manger who is the true light of the world and still shines today. In fact, He lives in those of us who have accepted Him as our personal Lord and Saviour and shines through us pointing the way today.
Our song for today is Light of the World by Lauren Daigle.