This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12
“I visited my doctor on the 10th of December 2020. This was during the COVID-19 period and the figures of infections and deaths were rising. There was fear of a lockdown during the Christmas festivities. My doctor, who is from the Sikh community in our country surprised me when he said how he wished people would downplay this years Christmas festivities.
He quipped “the first Christmas was low keyed and even the non-Christians like him know it. This would go along way to contain the risk of spreading the virus through gathering in shopping malls and other festivals associated with Christmas season”.
This statement took me back to the first Christmas where the birth of Jesus was marked by a quiet night where there was no room in the inn for Mary and Joseph except for the manger. “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:7).
That night our Saviour Jesus Christ was born to us; He is the Messiah, the Lord. Jesus Christ was born without much pomp and celebration. This Saviour who takes away our sins, our anxieties, our pain, and illnesses. He can take away the coronavirus and stop the pandemic. He is the healer and wants to restore us to His Father.
I am grateful that He came down from heaven lived as a man and died on the cross and defeated death by His resurrection on the third day. He invites us to his everlasting kingdom.”
“The First Noel” By James Gitoho. Special thanks to GTP board vice chair, Valentine Gitoho for sharing this reading with me last night. I “unwrapped” it in a WhatsApp message at 3:45am, so I want to share it. Happy Christmas Eve everyone!
We have already used the expression “COVID Christmas” as the disease has caused us to cancel or postpone many plans. It will make this Christmas low key, for sure, “without much pomp and celebration,” much like the first Christmas.
The coming of the Christ was the opposite of “pomp and celebration.” The angel might as well have said, “When you see something you think you would never ever see, a beautiful newborn baby wrapped in rags in a feeding trough.”
This is the Messiah who would take away our sins and our sicknesses. He’s humble and yet filled with hope, lowly but offers loads of gifts. He surprises those who seek Him with their whole hearts. They find an abundance of everything!
To grow in generosity, let us draw near to the God who loved the world so much that He gave us His only Son, Jesus, so our living, giving, serving, and loving reflects the same sacrifice. Make it so Holy Spirit for the glory of the Father. Amen.