Issue 10

January 2012

Home

 

Current Issue

 

 Archives

 

Contact Us

 

Links

 

 
 
 
 
 

 


OPEN SPACE
WHO PAYS
By Richard Lee

 


 Danish - Glædelig Jul : Dutch - Vrolijk Kerstfeest : Filipino - Maligayang Pasko : Finnish - Hyvaa joulua : French - Joyeux Noël : German - Fröhliche Weihnachten : Greek - Kala Christouyenna! Danish - Glædelig Jul : Italian Buone Feste Natalizie! Spanish Feliz Navidad! Christmas has a habit of creeping up on you – as well prepared as we all want to be, try to be or even dare to say to family, friends and even ourselves, the highly optimistic words – ‘Yes, all ok, all prepared - the presents are bought, paid for, wrapped, under the tree and all the Christmas meals are being prepared for the family by the Christmas Fairy, who only today, told me not to worry about anything’. Any one spot the problem with that statement? Yes, that simple statement ‘paid for’ – that’s the illusion I could believe all the rest. I have lived in quite a number of countries and shared Christmas Greeting in many different languages, foods, beverages and songs ( Oh and times too – the Orthodox Churches focus the Festival on January 6th not 25th December). The impact of the Festival is just the same in whatever language you use. It seems that we are never quite ready for the Christmas event? In a funny way that’s not surprising. The world wasn’t ready for the coming of the Christ child the first time round. Shepherds off in the fields, Magi (Wise Men or Kings) were wandering all over the place asking advice from highly dubious people (Herod). The more you read the Christmas story the more it sounds like chaos. The only person who seemed to stay calm and cope was Mary. She got on with having her child while everyone else was consumed by cares and wants, needs and demands. Joseph was so distracted he couldn’t even find anywhere for Mary to lay her head. So running about, like headless chickens (turkeys?) consumed by cares, needs and wants and being pressurised by all that is going on was all part of the event long before we added our personal anxieties to it all. No one can anticipate the impact of the Christmas event. The audacity of the claim that God loved the whole creation so much that He was prepared to become part of it in the form of an ordinary human being is quite daunting. Just look at the way we treat His creation, we use it, exploit it, kill it and even dare to refer to it as fallen or unworthy? He made it, became part of it, died for it, rose for it and lives for it today. He gave it all to us as a present, gift wrapped in nature and even paid the ultimate price for it – his own life. No wonder we find it hard work and are as good at it as our ancestors were, we are just never ready for it and would rather enjoy a good moan than a good party. So please do celebrate Christmas and the promise it offers; just don’t forget who paid the ultimate price for it!
The Rev’d Richard Lee
Team Rector Egremont