Christmas literally means the ‘celebration of Christ’. We know the story of his birth in a humble stable. It wasn’t a normal birth celebration for kings instantly surrounded this new baby. In fact, nothing had been ‘normal’ before his birth. Think of Mary, a teenager, who received a promise from God that she would bear a son. Then there is the journey of Mary and Joseph, who needed to escape danger. Forced to flee, they became displaced persons in this world. The shepherds find this young refugee family in an unlikely place. God is apparently at work in unsuspecting places and people.

And while all that the shepherds see is a baby in a manger, they leave rejoicing. They know that God is with his people. There is in fact a lot to celebrate. God became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood. This new birth meant the start of a new journey. The future has broken into their present. In a deeply needy world, things will change.

Indeed, a few decades on, Jesus lifts the lowly; feeds the poor, and heals the sick. As the birth of Jesus shows us that a manger in a stable is the centre of God’s plan, so does the life of Jesus show that those on the margins are the focus of his attention. When we celebrate this life, we celebrate that he indeed moved into our neighbourhood, that he is interested in our lives. He hears our prayers, moves in response, and - surprisingly - makes us central in his plan. On this journey, God is truly with us.

Celebrating the life of Jesus isn’t really about eating turkey or beef, a tree and presents, new clothes or a Queen’s speech one day per year. Celebrating the life of Jesus is about remembering God’s faithfulness to us. God had not forgotten his creation or his people.

The power of Jesus’ love disarms, feeds, cares, heals and restores broken lives. The redemption story doesn’t merely start with the humble; it ends there as well. Standing on a hill in Galilee, Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth”.

Celebrating Jesus’ life is remembering that to the increase of his reign and peace there will be no end. Following in his steps moves us to the margins, to the humble; it leads us to confront the powers that be; moves us to provide the hungry with good things and leads us towards the cross.

So, we should celebrate this wonderful life all year round. Not every day with cake and coffee, but celebrating in the way we look out for our neighbour, the way we treat those who seem to be on the margins at school or work, remembering those who need food and shelter, enabling people to reach their full potential and being generous in our life with what has been entrusted to us.

In fact, the word of God already says it; not many gifts are required, but a life style that loves mercy, acts justly and walks humbly day to day with our God (Micah 6:8)

 

MARIKJE HOEK
MANCHESTER England