I wonder what you look forward to most of all at Christmas. Maybe it’s the food or the decorations, perhaps it’s having time with extended family and friends, or possibly it’s the music that reminds you of your own childhood. However we spend Christmas, there can often be joys as well as challenges – and it may be that the pressure to have a perfect time causes us so much stress that we can feel disappointed.
The story of the birth of Jesus reminds us that life contains both joys and challenges. A young unmarried mother gives birth to her firstborn in a stable, following a difficult and uncomfortable journey. Her fiancé chooses to support her, despite the shame and disgrace that goes with this.
And in the midst of these challenges a baby is born who will bring joy to the world. Shepherds are amongst the first to witness this and become storytellers in their own right. Wise men from a distant land follow a star and encounter the Son of God. And the angels sing a song of hope and promise for the whole world - God has chosen to live among us so that we might know him in a new and more personal way.
I pray that whatever your Christmas brings, you will sense the good news that the birth of Jesus brings to our world today.
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