Christmas Presence

I think if there were a Jeopardy question of “What do you associate with Christmas?” there would be winning answers of trees, cookies, and decorations, but I suspect the number one answer would be Christmas presents. Sadly, what we need a lot more of is Christmas presence, not Christmas presents.

There is a word associated with Christmas, Emmanuel (also seen as Immanuel).  We see this on cards and hear it in carols, but few know the meaning, which is “God with us.” When you stop to think of it, that one word really encompasses the meaning of Christmas. Jesus was born, and thus Jesus, the Son of God, was now human and living among us.

The real reason we celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, because it can be seen as the birth of forgiveness. So, it is an annual opportunity to put all else aside and focus on our relationship with Jesus. I love that it seems like the world comes to a stop on Christmas morning. Businesses that rarely close shut down, and the hustle of bustle of the world comes to a halt, at least briefly. It is a peace that does not occur to this degree any other time of the year.

We seem to think that if God talks to us, it will be loud, like thunder, because, well, He’s God, and He’s really big and powerful and therefore must have a really loud voice. But I am convinced that He speaks to us in more of a whisper. To be able to concentrate on it, things must be very calm, and thus, the peacefulness of Christmas presents itself as an ideal opportunity. I urge you to use this season to get to know Jesus a bit better. Read the Bible. Pray. Worship. Glorify. Draw close.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas, and I hope you get a lot of presence this Christmas.