I am told that Saturday nights are great now they have all the reality TV programmes going on with ‘The X factor’, ‘Strictly Come dancing’ and ‘I ‘m a celebrity get me out of here.’ Oh the joys of Saturday night in. There is also all the competitions on TV these days winning people lots of material things and money if you are lucky. Things like ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’, ‘Deal or no deal’ and ‘watch to win’ to mention but a few offer a possible hope.
I heard a story about a great competition where the contestant only had to answer one simple question about Christmas to win his fortune. As the tension mounted the question was put to him “name two of Santa’s reindeer”. Almost immediately the contestant with glee called out “Rudolph and Olive!!!”
There was a sudden hush across the audience and with the host too. The host mustered up some courage after hearing through his ear piece “what?” he then replied to the answer cautiously “ok we can accept the first name but can you explain the other name.”
Quite confidently but impatiently the contestant explained “You know Rudolph the red nose reindeer had a very shiny nose. And if you saw it, you would even say it glowed. Olive, the other reindeer…”
It is amazing how people can loose the very meaning of Christmas or the true reason for Christmas particularly if we don’t share the real story. It is time to reclaim the real events of Christmas and the joy it brings to life.
We have become cynical and even suspicious of what our world seems to know about Christmas. To a point we ask our self is there point to the effort of celebrating it.
The question has to be for us “what are we expecting?”
Is it the pressure of needing to find the right gift for every one added to the worry if they will like it and is it enough? Is it the stress of trying to work out what we need to do before the time in order to get ready for the event preparing the meals and having the family round adding to the need to make sure you cater for every likely and unlikely scenario? We haven’t even mentioned the shops yet, so lets not go there (says the other half).
What about the expecting of the king who brings you into the light of the world?
What about the nature of God holding us in our place filling us with the promises he gave?
What about the need to share all this with others?
What about the very joy of having family round and having the time to spend with them, while your working world periodically is on holiday?
What about the good news delivered by Christ that delivers us from the patterns of the world?
Let us have the celebration of life through Christ, a gift given, something that we should see in that living crèche scene next door to the inn that morning.
The living king called to give us life, this is Christmas!!!! Is it not?
