ADVENT - AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MAN OF ALL SEASONS

Advent is the flavour of the month, although it is hard to find in the rush to buy the trinkets and baubles that constitute Christmas in the 21^st Century. Scenes on TV of the brutality of Black Friday at the superstores were almost beyond belief – Except there was the evidence before your very eyes.

Who are they buying for?Themselves, relatives or friends? Which is strange when you consider we are too busy to spend time with the very people we buy presents for.

There can be a variety of reasons given for this – Too busy with temporal things, which have no eternal value. Allowing petty slights and differences stand in the way. Procrastination (“I'll call next week when I have more time”). I could go on; the list is seemingly endless.

A lack of real love for the individuals God placed in our families and lives is the opposite to what was intended.

In John's Gospel, Chapter 2, the first two verses speak volumes. There is a wedding in Cana, Galilee. Jesus, His Mother were invited together with the disciples. Lay aside the miracle of water to wine; it is his attendance that holds the most significance.

Weddings in the Arab world at that time were huge celebrations that could last for days; hence the panic, disgrace of the wine running out early. But for Jesus a wedding is a symbol of of two lives joining as one and signified His bride, the Church, becoming one with Him.

Jesus' life mission and love was always for people. It was for the individuals He wanted to be in Heaven with Him. He cared about all that pertains to life and living. How can we apply that to our lives? The only way I can see is for us to change our hearts so that our priorities match His. Then we will have the love for those we so often neglect.

So, I hope you agree, Advent should be about the birth of Jesus; the coming of the Saviour of the World. But I want to come in from a different direction. Let's start with the beginning.

First of all God produced us – We contributed nothing. God would not have changed one iota if He had not produced us. The difficulty I had originally was why He produced us at all?I still struggle with that on odd occasions when you read of the atrocities one human can commit against another. He had all He needed without us. So why?

Quite simply I see that God has a special kind of eternal happiness. It is unique to Him. Because of this the World was created entirely for us. The love of God produced it in a spirit of incredible generosity.

This love is evident in His continuing passion for it and the creatures contained within. He had no special plans for it yet the marvellous thing about it all is that it demonstrates that God can be totally trusted. He recognises all our faults and foibles but He loves and forgives. He chose to produce us with affection. He owes us nothing. He went so far as to be prepared to die for us on the cross. He submitted to death because God makes us good by forgiving us our transgressions. This love, borne through creating us and now displayed in saving us, comes free of charge. So we receive this knowledge that God gives us His love unconditionally. Here lies the foundation of trust in God. There is no room for suspicion. One of the strengths of Christianity lies in our belief that God does not treat us harshly if we fall by the wayside. He bends down to pick us up, dust us down, give us forgiveness and renewal in His love and generosity. Our creation and our salvation are closely bound together.

So as we pass through the season of Advent give thought to the mind boggling knowledge that God came to us.

I leave you with the picture of a heavily pregnant woman trying to hold herself together on the back of a donkey. Tired, dirty from travel dust. In agony from the early onset of birth pains. Worried, probably frightened that they would find nowhere to stay as they arrived so late in the day. Joseph tramping the streets worn out from walking all day, as filthy and tired as Mary, desperately seeking shelter from the cold night air and a place to make her comfortable for the imminent birth. He takes with gratitude the stable offered. Scrabbling around to clear the filth from the floor and the manger where Mary could rest. Pushing and tethering the animals to one side.

Of the birth we know little except that, in the hours of that fateful night, was born, under almost the worst possible conditions, Our Saviour.

Merry Christmas & God's Blessings for 2015