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My Christmas reflection
from the lessons and carols service in Rotterdam on Sunday, 23 December 2018.
I love books, especially books full of ooh! and aha! moments.
This book, How to be an explorer of the world is one of them. It’s full of practical projects designed to reconnect us with the wide-eyed wonder we had as children.
Wonder in the little things, the seemingly simple things of life.
But if you get up close and personal you discover they are far from simple. Each living thing is a wonderland.
Take a new-born baby … in many ways like any other baby, in need of love and nurture; in so many ways, wholly unique and unpredictable.
Take the geranium in my kitchen or the orchid collection in Romina’s living room; in many ways like other plants, in need of care and attention; in so many ways, wholly unique.
Just like children exploring the world, discovering things for the first time, it’s good to have some ‘firsts’ of our own on a regular basis … to set ourselves up for regular doses of wonder.
The key is curiosity.
Like Mary’s curiosity that kept her from opting out in her encounter with the angel and that prompted her visit to Elizabeth.
Like the shepherds, confronted by an army of good news angels, who left their flocks to search for the baby in a manger.
Like the wise men, who were curious about the meaning of the star that appeared out of nowhere and set off to honour the new born king of the Jews they read about in their ancient writings.
Naturally there were risks and no doubt they were afraid. How did they overcome the fear and come into action?
Somehow they let their curiosity and not their fear dictate their response. They found the faith and courage to explore the world that God was bringing into being, partly through their willingness to play their part.
May God bless us all with a good dose of curiosity this Christmas, so the familiar and the fearful do not trap us in a ‘that’s the way it is’ and ‘that’s the way it always will be’ mindset. Instead, may we find the grace to go deeper and maybe find new, more life-giving ways to celebrate Christmas and so discover anew the wonderland that Christmas is meant to be – whatever our age, whatever our circumstances.
A prayer
It may seem naive,
in a world of grief,
to choose to live in joy;
It may seem foolish,
in a world where solemnity is power,
to sing and dance to a different tune;
It may seem cruel,
in a world of suffering and injustice,
to speak of light and celebration;
But you have come, Jesus,
to bring joy into our grief,
light into our darkness,
singing into our mourning;
and it is an act of healing and proclamation
to believe and embrace the joy you offer.
Joy to the world!
The Lord is come!
Hallelujah!
Amen.
written by John van de Laar, published on the Sacredise.com website.
From the blog
Nature bringing joy
