Christmas . . . I Believe

I believe in Christmas. I believe that God sends light into the dark corners of our lives. That in the lonely and cold moments, God comes with a message of good news.

I believe that God’s good news sweeps away all of the world’s bad news like a broom sweeps away dust. God brings hope in the midst of despair. God brings healing in the midst of illness. God brings peace in the midst of strife and solace to the mourning. God brings power to the weak. God brings companionship to the lonely and family to the forgotten. God brings justice for the oppressed and liberty for the captive. Most of all, God brings new life in the midst of death. In a word, God brings what we need.

I believe in Christmas. I believe that God continues to work in my life today through this story of Christ’s birth so long ago.

I am a shepherd, startled to hear the good news of the angels, but eager to go and see for myself. I am Mary, aware that somehow God is using me to accomplish things too big to imagine. I am Joseph, not understanding fully that which God calls me to do, but following as faithfully as I can. I am the innkeeper, busy and frazzled, but making some room, somehow, for God to be born. I am the Wiseman, on a journey of discovery, bearing my gift to be given to glorify God. And yes, I am the angel, proclaiming in my own life, the glorious good news that God has come into the world and we shall never be the same.

I believe in Christmas and with my life, today and throughout the year to come, I will proclaim that Christ is born, that Christmas is here, that God is with us! Amen.