"No Christmas Shutdown!"
"And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." Luke 2:7
The coronavirus grinch can’t stop Christmas from coming. Like it says near the end of the book, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” by Dr. Seuss -
"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!..." "Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!”
Yes! Christmas obviously means a lot more than gifts and decorations and food. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of God’s Son, even though many people, even Christians, struggle to keep Christ in Christmas. Will it be any different this year with Covid 19 bringing havoc to normal Christmas gatherings and traditions? We might expect families and friends to assemble less, and come up with creative ideas for sharing presents. Somehow though, the coronavirus isn’t expected to cause a slower, less stressful and chaotic season, even though our schedules might look different. We still need to remind ourselves of the real meaning of Christmas.
Wouldn’t it be nice for Christmas 2020 to be a true time of reflection where we use extra solitude to ponder the wonder of God’s gift of Jesus Christ? Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room for him in the inn. Can we manage to make room for Jesus this year? After all, it’s his birthday that we celebrate. Like we sing in “Joy to the World,” - "Let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare him room.” Coronavirus can’t stop the meaning of Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
In Christ’s Love
Pastor Mo
