Christmas. The time of cookies, love, presents, Christmas trees, Christmas markets, Santa Claus, mulled wine and candles. And the time of stress: writing Christmas cards!?!! Ahhhhhh! Presents! Nooooo!; visit mother-in-law! Must that be?!? Time of open for business Sundays, of shopping, of family quarrels (you always give me socks!), of messed up feasts and far too many Christmas parties. Good thing it’s Christmas only once a year and soon it will be over. Phew! Done. Checked.
This or that’s the way Christmas plays out in our heads. It’s actually about the greatest miracle in the history of mankind: The moon landing! No – wrong again!
God became man and came to this world to redeem us!
In Jesus God becomes a little child, grows up, teaches, heals and preaches for three years and dies on the cross. And gets up again!
About himself Jesus says:
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
John 8, 12
Jesus is the light that wants to illuminate the darkness within us. The light that wants to drive away our dark thoughts of sadness, anger, despair, despondency and wants to let us be healed in God’s presence. This light leaves nothing in the darkness: it shines in our pain and reveals our transgressions, not to denounce them, but to give us the opportunity to come to terms with God.
I want to encourage you, in the dark season, to let yourself in on God, on Jesus, the light of the world. You may know: You are not alone! God loves you!
I wish you a blessed Christmas and that God’s light shines in you!
P.S. The blog image is a scan of a motif that was printed with our self-made Gutenberg printing press!
