December 25th, the day that we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, is almost upon us (though for those of the Orthodox Church, it is a little further away in early January). We wish all a peaceful and joyful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus with family and friends.
SHARING THE LIGHT: Dennis and Ann Outred say Christians need to make sure the busyness of Christmas doesn’t distract us from sharing the light of Christ. PICTURE: Naletu/Unsplash
For a great number of people, the last weeks/days before Christmas are not as peaceful as they might be, particularly if you are a parent, church leader or in a job where there are increased demands at this time. In our preparations – presents, food for any celebration meals, sermons – the hours in the day can seem to be miraculously shorter.
If this is so, are we beginning to live out a “Martha experience” – “But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.'” (Luke 10:40-42 NRSV)
We need to pull back and ensure that we do have those “Mary” moments so that we do not run past the Christ of Christmas.
The birth of Jesus was not exactly a peaceful or comfortable time for Joseph and Mary – Bethlehem was overcrowded because of the census being taken. Just imagine being Joseph searching for accommodation for his wife who was in labour!
The increased activity around us can give us great opportunities to witness, and to pour out the love of Christ (especially to those who are lonely and hurting). We need to make sure that at this time our “light” as Christians is not dimmed, and we do not neglect what is important – our continuing mission of celebrating the gift of Jesus Christ with those around us – spouse, family, friends, strangers.
Dennis and Ann Outred are coordinators of Marriage Week – Australia.
