Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2: 1-20
When I was a Doula, my favorite clients were young teenage mothers. Not a one of them a virgin like Mary. But each of them eager to meet their baby and often nervous about childbirth and terrified about what motherhood would bring.
I think of their words. “What if I can’t do this?” “I think I’ve changed my mind.” “I’m not ready.”
And my words in response, “You are as ready as you can be and you can do this. You will give birth to this baby and you will be his/her mother. This is not an accident. This little human is needed here.”
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s74pvLWoYzU[/embedyt]
Tonight as you settle in with your family, your friends, or even alone with a good book or movie…remember the story of the Christ child. You don’t have to be a christian to imagine the fear of a new mother having her baby in a barn with animals as her attendants. Tonight as you look at the beautiful lights of this Christmas and think of Christmas’ past and those to come, you do not have to be a believer in Jesus to believe in the hope that can come when good people do good things in the world.
At least…for me…I can see it. I see the light in so many rising up. In the midst of a world where there is an Aleppo, there is also a Malala. In a world where there is an organization like ISIS, there are also organizations like The Compassion Collective (www.thecompassioncollective.org), Charity Water (www.charitywater.org), and Arc (www.thearc.org)
Merry Christmas friends…Merry Christmas!
Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! (Psalm 96:1-4)