A Comfort at Christmas

Christmas can have dark shadows, but what if God came close? God can provide a comfort at Christmas. 

As I write this, I think of someone I know that has had a death in their family. It’s a loss, a grief, a tearing of relationship.

Christmas. Will it be a place of comfort for them?

There will be shadows. Memories and moments of grief.

I am praying for them that they would sense a comfort at Christmas that passes beyond understanding.

What’s Christmas like for you?

I think for many people who read Turning the Page often find Christmas a struggle.

Christmas can be uncomfortable.

I think of those who might be shadowed by

• Death of a loved one
• Divorce
• Loneliness
• Abandonment
• Rejection
• Estrangement and disconnection to people you love
• Physical distance from people you want to be with

Christmas Interupts

The Christmas story is a story of interruption.

• Mary – you’re going to have a baby, but The Holy Spirit is going to impregnate you
• Joseph – you’re going to be its father, but not the biological
• Shepherds – Angels are going to interrupt your impoverished hillsides
• Wise men – a bright star is going to interrupt your journey
• Inn Keeper – a young pregnant couple knocks on your door
• The whole Land of Israel – everyone has to go to the place of their birth so we can make a list to tax you.

God interrupts us all the time.

Perhaps this year you have experienced interruptions in the hopes you have.

A Comfort at Christmas

I get emails every week from people that need some sort of comfort.

These are some sentences from a recent email that I, after some prayer, will respond to.

• I have been wanting to die for the last few months.
• I’m too worthless to ever feel worthy of use for God.
• I have trouble telling anyone, I get the cliche answer every time.
• I just need to be understood.
• I’ve cried out to God a lot, I’ve also yelled out in anger.

How would you respond to these words?

As I thought over them within the context of thinking about Christmas, I heard these words.

We don’t worship a deity of distance

God is not far, far away

God is not a piece of wood or stone.

God is not theory, a concept, a value system.

God came in close. So close that he became man and tented amongst us.

God knows the pain of the person who emailed me, and has experienced the depth of emotional pain they have.

Here in New Zealand, being the Southern Hemisphere, we have a summer Christmas.

Following Christmas, many people go on holiday to the beach for their holidays. Our normally quiet little beachside towns swell to bursting, much like Bethlehem of old.

People pitch their tents, swim in the surf, fish, sleep and mix and mingle with complete strangers.

Imagine a summer tenting ground by the beach and then read the poem.

He Set up Tent

‘Who is the new guy?’
‘I’ve never seen him before’
‘Nice tent though’
‘He’s pitching it right next door’

‘Hope he doesn’t have loud parties’
‘Invite the kinds of people we don’t like’
‘Lets give him a chance’
‘Seems harmless at first sight’

‘Nice tent though’
‘Custom made for sure’
‘Look, he’s inviting everyone in’
‘Through that narrow door.’

‘I don’t like the look of this’
‘But perhaps I’ll take a peak’
‘For everyone is flocking to him’
‘Is he a Poet, Prophet, King or Priest?’

‘He’s cooking up a barbeque’
‘Sacred cows thrown on the fire’
‘It’s getting really hot out here’
‘Living waters is what I require’

Jesus set up a tent
Tabernacled here with us
When he became human form
It really stirred up a fuss

Christmas is a time
To welcome him in your tent
Throw open the wide flap door
Let in the broken and the bent

He will interrupt your life
Babies always do
But a deeper comfort you will find
His words are always true.

And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.
We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 TLV

Images: Department of Conservation campsites

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