25/11/2024
Christmas joy .. by Michael P. Horgan,
(THE SWORD OF THE LORD, DECEMBER 11, 1987)
As I think of Christmas and Bethlehem, I recall the cowboy who rode up to the brim of the Grand Canyon for the first time. Looking at the panorama below and beyond he said, "Something mighty big sure happened here."
When I look at Bethlehem and beyond I'm bound to say, "Something mighty big sure happened here." Big enough to embrace the whole world. Big enough to cover all the ages. As Paul said, it's so big we can't measure it. No measure can span the length, breadth, height and depth of the love of God. It's past finding out.
The paradox of Christmas is that at its center is the enormous hope engendered by a tiny Baby. The Creator came in Christ, and God put His great arms around the world and said, "I love you." "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." And so the remembrance of our Saviour's birth makes this season of grace a joyous celebration for all who love God.
No other event even comes close.
When the first American astronauts landed on the moon, the President of the United States exclaimed, "The planting of human feet on the moon is the greatest moment in human history."
Soon after an evangelist set matters straight. "With all due respect," he said, "the greatest moment in human history was not when man set foot on the moon, but when the infinite and eternal God set foot on the earth in Jesus of Nazareth.
The President had the enthusiasm, but the evangelist knew the truth.
In order to appreciate the joy of Christmas we must look for it in the right place. We can't look for it in "a white Christmas, just like the ones we used to know," because it may not snow. We can't look for it in gifts and overindulgent meals, because these bring no lasting happiness. We can't even look for it in the . Oh, how jeemed of r sweetest hymns of fred years
warmth of family and friends, because they are not always with us.
We look for the joy of Christmas in the Baby in the manger. If we don't find it there, we will never find it.