The Gift of Jesus

Ronald Rolheiser tells a marvelous story about a four-year-old child who awoke one night frightened, convinced that in the darkness around her, there were all kinds of ghosts and monsters. So she got up and ran to her parents’ bedroom. Her mother took her by the hand, led her back to her own room, where she turned on a light, and reassured her, “There is nothing to be afraid of. God is right here in this room with you.” The child replied, “I know that God is here, but I need someone in this room who has some skin on them!”

John begins his gospel “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and lived among us.  

This speaks to a mystery that is at the heart of the Christian faith: That God was fully present in Jesus. 

It’s hard to get my mind around that. But there is something beautiful in it. That God loves this world so much, that he would step down into it. That he would hunger and thirst, that he would experience beauty and joy and suffering and pain – just as we all do.

This says something very profound about the God we worship – that this world matters. That you and I matter… that people – their bodies, their experience matter – that creation itself, the earth, it all matters. It all matters to God. It is all holy, sacred.

On this Christmas Day and in the year ahead, may God give you eyes to see Christ in the world and the people around you. May you experience Christ’s deep, healing love for you. And may you share that love with a world desperately in need. 

Let us pray:  We praise you, Holy God, for the gift of Jesus, for his unconditional love, mercy, and grace. We thank you for stepping into this world, and into our lives. Empower us to be bearers of his light – not just today, but throughout the year. It is in his powerful name we pray. Amen.