“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” – Luke 1 : 30-31 At this stage, don´t we need peace on earth for humanity? Don´t we need the appearance of the angels, a sudden joy of the shepherds and hope, a kind of blessed hope from a child, the name of which means salvation? We need someone to save us. From this bitterness, this grief, this hostility. We live in a cleaving society; this is a century of “for or against”. In a world where we must support a case, no matter the cost. Left or right, conspiracy or truth. Technological development or back to the roots. Briefly spoken… so many fruitless discussions which divide people.
|
“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” |
Let´s see what I support: the baby in the manger. God in a stable. God with an umbilical cord. So human, that he needs to suck milk, so divine, that he is adored by the angels. A wide-eyed girl who gave birth to a baby without ever having had sexual intercourses. A stunned Joseph who made his way in this story, the most unlikely in history. “Call him Jesus” did the angel say, as this name means “the Lord is the salvation”, and this Lord Jesus is entirely focused on salvation. The salvation of sin, of guilt, of shame, of death and yes, of the political and societal polemic. Gabriel added with an expression which could have seemed to be a smile, “he will be great”. Great enough to calm down storms, chase demons, heal sick people, empty some graves, included his own grave. He will be great. Don´t we need a great king? The world is so chaotic and life is so weak.
|
“Call him Jesus” did the angel say, as this name means “the Lord is the salvation”.
|
For or against? I am for Christmas. It is one thing to have an opinion, and another thing to fight. Let´s reason together. Let´s work together. And even if a discussion fails, love shall succeed. If love covers a multitude of sins, is love then not able to cover a multitude of opinions, too? We are in need of an intermezzo of calm in this cacophony of opinions. Fortunately, we have one. It is called Christmas. It is called Jesus Christ from Nazareth. |
Prayer: Father, fill me with Your peace. May the peace of Christ surpass all my reasoning. Amen.
Advent prayer (by Kenneth E. Hagin): Heavenly Father, we come again. We come in the Name of Jesus—not our name, not our power, not our holiness, not even our goodness—but we come in the Name of Jesus, washed in His blood, robed in His righteousness. We come because You told us to come. You said in Your Holy Word for us to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain help and grace to help in the time of need. Thank You, Father. We are exhorted in Your Word to pray, to intercede, to supplicate, and to give thanks for ALL who are in authority, that Christians—that believers—everywhere, may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
