Christmas: Christ in us, hope!

Christmas! What comes to mind this year, or rather what keeps coming to mind? At this time of year, the Biblical idea that keeps coming to mind for me is Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us! Back in the day (his life on earth) that meant literally God present in human form, the Incarnation. Today our orthodoxy speaks to Emmanuel, God with us, as a reality we understand as the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit. He is not only with us, but for people of faith he is in us. That is an incredible blessing, an ultimate proximity, his infilling presence.

This past Sunday, the fourth advent Sunday, we were blessed by the Bakerview Church's choir and a string quartet rendering Handel's Messiah. It was a celestial rendition. On either side of the choir hung four Christmas banners, one each for each advent Sunday, proclaiming Love, Peace, Joy, and Hope. It is the Hope banner that also stayed with me. It is the other theme that keeps coming to mind this Christmas: God with us and hope. So what's with Emmanuel, Christ with us, and Hope. Here's the integrative message in the juxtaposynthesis of the two: The Presence of Christ in us gives us the wonderful gift of Hope. It is a both/and kind of hope, both a hope in the now and a hope in the then of eternity. With a living faith there is an expectant hope grounded in the continual awareness that Christ is alive in us and we live now in his presence. The gift of the Christ child in the manger back then is a gift that keeps on giving today. Remembering the Father's gift of his Son, the Son's gift of his life on the cross, and of himself as the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we remember that God is faithful and keeps his promises. This evokes hope in the future and in the Kingdom, a Kingdom of grace here and now and the coming Kingdom of glory yet to come, both the same Kingdom of God.

While the culture seems constantly to be pulling away from rich, deeply meaningful reflections on Christmas toward an increasingly superficial celebration of the holidays, I feel blessed by the continual reminders this year of "Emmanuel" and "Hope." I believe God keeps laying these on my consciousness. This then begs the questions: "What keeps popping-up in your mind these special days and what might God be saying to you this season?" Think about it. Perhaps slow down, reflect, take a deep breath, and be aware. Be assured. God is not silent. Listen and be blessed once again! Merry Christmas!

JSR