What better place to start Christmas than with one of John Lennon’s famous songs, “And so
this is Christmas, and what have you done…?” Writing this at the end of November, some of
us will have to admit, ‘Very little!’ And due to the uncertainty of the past months, we have
probably done even less to prepare for the approaching festival so our usual last minute panic to get everything done in time for Christmas will be even more frantic.. John Lennon’s song continues, “And so this is Christmas, for weak and for strong, for rich and for poor ones, the world is so wrong.” And the busyness of the run up to Christmas this year isn’t helped by all the uncertainty that a global pandemic brings. And outside the UK, the situation is hardly any better - international animosities, Brexit and climate change to name but a few.
When Jesus was born the world was also in a troubled state, with much political unrest and uncertainty, and, as for us if we have to repay the billions spent as a result of Covid 19, there is also the fear of more taxation. The purpose of the journey to Bethlehem by Joseph and Mary was a census from which more tax could be levied - pre-Budget planning Roman-style!
Into that dark world the birth of Jesus shone like a light. God was intervening to show us a better way - the way of love and service rather than greed and domination; the way of peace and reconciliation rather than the way of hatred and violence.
A modern poet, Frank Horne, has put it this way in his poem ‘Kid Stuff’:
“The wise guys tell me that Christmas is Kid Stuff. Maybe they’ve got something there – Two thousand years ago three wise guys chased a star across a continent to bring gold, frankincense and myrrh to a Kid born in a manger with an idea in his head. And as the bombs crash all over the world today The really wise guys know that we‘ve all got to go chasing stars again in the hope that we can get back some of the Kid Stuff born two thousand years ago.”
The world needs the Christmas message of peace, love and hope more than ever. So as we get out the candles and put the lights on the tree, let them be a prayer, that light will shine in the darkness, and may we also be human lights as we care not only for ourselves and our families but also remember and help those most in need, and try to bring joy where there is despair or loneliness.
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