The Christmas story includes a message of God’s solidarity with and care for children and families who live in fear and who flee to seek refuge. We corrupt the message if we make it about our children and not all children.
The Christ child is the light who enlightens the world and as his love takes root in our hearts and lives, it causes us to light up the darkness.
When God is moving to do something new among us, it almost always seems scandalous, immoral and offensive to many, and is just as likely to involve those who are regarded as morally suspect.
Jesus probably won’t meet our expectations, but will instead set out to convert our expectations and lead us into a new world that exceeds anything we could have expected.
The “things” we so readily put our trust in, or find our identity in, will all fall, and only God’s love and care for us will remain.
God’s mission is much bigger than us, and to play our part in it, we need to live freely and fearlessly and maintain a humble and faithful connection with the traditions and wisdom of the wider Church.
Jesus doesn’t come looking for ready-made heroes, but for the small, damaged and fragile people we are, so that in the company of Jesus, we can become the giants we always dreamed of.
The Bible can be used to justify anything, but when it is approached humbly as a place of prayerful encounter with the risen Christ, it is alive with the breath of God and leads us to life.
We can take our salvation and just return to normal life, but God calls us beyond normal into a wholeness that grows from praise, prayer and service.
God sees us as trapped in the rubble of a collapsing world and is desperately seeking to find and rescue us before it is too late.