CHRISTMAS

In John 1 verse 10 the Bible says that the word became flesh. The Message puts it this way, “The word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We could probably even rephrase that to read that the Word of God became flesh and blood and was laid just outside our door. From there he will move to save all of creation.

For a number of years the concept of the Christ of Christmas has been difficult for me to get my mind around. I just couldn’t find a way of understanding how the God of the universe had anything to do with gift giving, Christmas trees, and Santa Claus. So, for a number of years I went along with things as usual but really desired to spend the holiday all wrapped up in the things of the nativity. I really had no desire to have a Christmas tree and would have gladly sacrificed it for a life size nativity scene in my living room. But I never did. I guess I succumbed to social pressure and jingle bells.

I guess the way I came to confront the issues of it all was when I wrapped my mind around the fact that Christmas was REAL. Not that I came to believe that it happened exactly as some think on December 25^th or that there were three wise men instead of two or twelve. But I did come to the reality in my mind that a little, helpless, and hopefully breastfed baby was born and lived a human life and after growing up struggled with eternal questions and overcame those questions enough to become a human sacrifice for me and you. Thanks be to God!

I think of this most often when I see some of the little babies at my clinic. If you don’t know it yet I will tell you that 6-7month old babies are perfect. They are old enough to be fun but not old enough to be prejudiced. They don’t know a white person from a blue. When I take them in my arms and talk to them believing they must have a great vocabulary, their mother is quick to advise me that “they can’t talk.” Then they begin to smile and laugh and in their own way let me know that if I were holding the Christ child he would do the same. He would smile at me then wiggle his body back into the comfortable folds of his mother’s body.

I pray that this Christmas will bring with it the knowledge of the reality of the Christ child. May he be real and smile with you.

May you and those you love have a Blessed Christmas.

John, Jodie, and Jessica Ackerman