James’s Blog: A Happy New Christmas.

It’s another Christmas. I begin to suffer from festive deja vu around now. I walk through town, past the same pop-up stalls and window displays that I saw last year. I sit in front of the TV, wrapping presents, trying to remember if I did exactly this same thing last year, watching exactly the same programmes. I panic once more about whether we’ve managed to get presents for everybody, or have we somehow managed to totally overlook one of the children. And yes, I wonder, yet again, what I’m going to write for the blog this Christmas.

Looking for inspiration, I took a moment to read through Luke’s account of the Christmas story. More deja vu. I’ve definitely been here before.

Hang on. That’s something I’d not really paid much attention to in the past. Right at the beginning, when the angel visits Mary with some unwelcome good news, the celestial visitor casually throws a line into the conversation – “For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Now that’s not new. I’ve heard that before, several times, but I’d never really noticed that it’s also a Christmas thing. So now I’m thinking about Christmas being a time when God does something impossible. Again, this is not a new thought, but it’s slightly new for this time of year. I’ve not really dwelt much on the inconceivable nature of the immaculate conception, not at Christmas anyway. Then I’m thinking about the whole thing, the impossibility of God bringing peace and goodwill to all people, and yet He does it anyway. It’s a small thing, but it’s enough to help me see this time of year through fresher eyes.

So, that’s the challenge. To read the Christmas story, either in Luke or Matthew, and identify one thing that you’ve never really noticed before; something that catches your attention for the first time.

And have a happy new Christmas.