Celebrating Emmanuel

It’s almost impossible to write a blog at Christmas time without sounding cliche. Authors hone in on the usual themes, you know, like joy, giving, family, memories, the arrival of the Savior of the world…

Huh? As if somehow acknowledging the Creator of the Universe made flesh and come to Earth prompts no more attention or honor than a yearly pageant, the singing of old songs, and dutiful participation in seasonal activities (writing blogs included)!

It’s not that folks think the topic stale or unimaginative; to the contrary, look at the sheer volume of material out there. Rather, it’s the impersonal treatment we give it. We too often reduce our collective remembrance of the Christmas miracle to an academic or legalistic pastime. Instead, we should be encouraging each other to fall in love, all over again, with the Father and Son whose redemptive story the Gospels tell.

Truly celebrating Emmanuel – “God with us” – demands that each of us take a deep, personal look at how His being with us – in us! – empowers us to walk out a lifestyle brimming with salt, light, and fruit (Matt 5.13-14, John 5.5). We live as letters to a world looking on (2 Cor 3.2-3, Matt 5.16), those yearning for the Hope of Salvation whom we have humbly seen and received.

Indeed, the radical wonder of a manger cradle, an angel announcement, and a virgin birth compels us to our knees in adoration; the facts of the event are exciting in their own right. But we must go one step further and meditate, personally and with honest passion, upon the advent of Truth and the difference He has made in our lives.

So rejoice! God is with us!