Frome Area Christians Together- Making Sense of Christmas

How could there be anything more important than this? The whole universe holds its breath! The very word of God is made flesh; Jesus is born!

But is it all too fanciful, too romantic? Some would say so. Perhaps many would say that when all is said and done, this was just another baby and the stories woven by Matthew and Luke are nothing more than nice, sparkly myths which serve only to give a nice, nostalgic background to an annual mid-winter fun fest.

Christmas where there is no faith, and precious little hope and love is indeed a bleak midwinter. The trouble and noise that is in our world right now could give “Silent Night” a rather hollow and discordant sound or simply drown it out altogether. I recall a track recorded by Simon and Garfunkel in 1966 which includes that most gentle of carols sung against the background of an evening news broadcast which included ghastly reports of a murder and what was going on in Vietnam.

It is a track that could just as easily be recorded today, more than 50 years later.

How do we make sense of Christmas? The answer comes from the continuation of the story as we follow Jesus on to his baptism in that most symbolic of rivers, the Jordan. And then on into the wilderness, to the Upper Room, to Calvary, and on to the Garden Tomb that now lies open and empty.

How do I make sense of Christmas? It is simply that I find that I am myself taken up into it, and rejoice that I can know for sure that this same Jesus is alive today, and that I can rejoice with overwhelming gratitude that I too may know him for myself. So, yes, there is nothing more important than this! Yes, the universe is right to hold its breath, and yes, it doesn’t all end with the packing away of the Christmas decorations.

The story goes on…..

Do have a beautiful Christmas and whatever your 2020 may bring, may you go on with the story…..the great and unique story of you and Jesus!

With much love,

Graham Owen, 

Vicar Holy Trinity, Frome