By Reverend Diane Knowles, Trinity United Church
There’s a powerful magnetic force that draws people all over the world together during this Holy season.
Christmas time is steeped in tradition, mystery and of course nostalgia. We know the Christmas story almost by heart.
It’s about Mary and Joseph, the shepherd and of course the wisemen being led to the Christ child by a brilliant star in the sky.
But, this is just the beginning of the story.
Christmas is more than the story and celebration of the birth of this tiny babe in the manger at Bethlehem.
It’s more than a sentimental holiday celebrated by more than two billion people around the globe.
It’s the celebration of a new way of life that this babe ushers in as he grows into a young man. Jesus Way is a way of love, compassion and hope.
In Jesus’ life and his spiritual teachings in ancient biblical times we see the dream God has for our world.
A world where everybody is included around the table of life regardless of race, colour, religion, or sexual orientation.
A world where everybody is a somebody and nobody is excluded.
A world where a baby, where love, changes everything.
If enough of us choose to follow in the footsteps of this Prince of Peace—and step into his Way of love—we have the potential to change the trajectory of human kind.
We can become an irresistible and unstoppable force for good—for love!
Writer Hamilton Wright Mabie said “blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
What our world needs now more than anything else is for as many people as possible to participate in THIS conspiracy—a love conspiracy.
This is a conspiracy we can all get behind and toast with our glasses of eggnog.
What many of us fail to understand is this Christmas story isn’t simply a story about a babe being born a long, long time ago. This is our story too. Today.
And we are called to play important roles in the story—in our thoughts, words and actions.
We are called, like Mary, to be love bearers.
We are called to put our love into action—to take care of the least of these, to care for and to look after our neighbour.
This love in action can be seen in the outreach program at Trinity United Church including the lunch program at the local high school and in the food pantry in partnership with the Rotary Club that’s now inside Trinity church because of the colder weather. You see this love in action every time people open their hearts to take care of those who may need a hand up this Christmas season and throughout the year.
Jesus was a leader of a movement that was steeped in unconditional love and generosity of heart and spirit.
A movement that began with that holy light on that holiest of nights.
A movement that continues today when we continue to be a beacon of light and hope and a love spreader in our chaotic and uncertain lives.
Will we make room for this love to be born anew in the managers of our hearts this Christmas?
Perhaps as we begin our Christmas traditions even in a scaled-back form, we can feel that magnetic force drawing us all closer to the kind of world Jesus envisioned—a world that is wrapped in infinite love.
May the blessings of love’s pure light shine upon us and the wonder of our story of love fill our hearts.
Christmas blessings,
Rev. Diane Knowles
Trinity United Church, “The Heart in the Heart” of Huntsville
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