Pastoral Letter (DECEMBER)

This time of year, has always been a birthday season for my family. Growing up, both my parents had birthdays in November and December, as did my sister and I. I now have a brother in law with a birthday in December and a daughter in law with one in November.  It can be an expensive month! This year has been particularly special as my mother celebrated her 90^th birthday on the same day as I celebrated my 60^th. It was a great excuse to gather the extended family and friends together to share good times, and be thankful for each other.

Christmas is also about a birthday, the celebration of the birth of God’s precious son Jesus. So many traditions and customs have grown around this season which include the kinds of things we do when it is our own birthday like gather together with friends and family. These are important things and I hope we all have the opportunity to do that in the coming weeks.  

The birth of Christ is so much more than that though. His birth, brought light into the darkness of our world.  It brought a new way of living where the things this world values are turned on their heads, where the meek will inherit the earth and the peacemakers will be blessed.  

The birth of Christ has been celebrated during many dark times down through the centuries, and this Christmas is one of them.  Our world is in turmoil and we wonder what we can do to make a difference. Perhaps on our own we can’t.  However, if we put our trust in the one who came to be the Prince of Peace, if we can put our hope in light shining into the dark places of our world, and if we continue to pray for a better world for us and generations to come, this Christmas we will truly be celebrating the birthday which can change the world.