We welcome back to our devotional table Brendan Armitage, who offers this week’s reflection as a spiritual close to the Christmas season, which ended ten days ago on the day of Epiphany. Thank you, Brendan!
Merry Christmas to you! When a child is born, they’re delicate and precious. You want to hold and nurture and protect them from all the things that might happen to them in life, right?
I’m not denying that there is a time for that, but I’m wondering if maybe we never grow out of that understanding as Christians, and that we don’t lose part of the strength of being Christians, of being followers of Jesus?
To me, the strength of being Christian is that you’re not delicate. You’re not fragile. Your faith strengthens you to make the first move, to look the stranger in the eye with a smile on your face and take the chance to say, “Hi. Merry Christmas. How are you?”
Your faith strengthens you to deal with fears about a changing society, with new traditions to be made and new technologies to be understood. We sing, “Our church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.” We are not babies. In our faith, we are made strong. In Jesus, we are fearless. In the Great Commission, we have purpose. “Go forth and spread the Gospel.”
You have nothing to fear. Everlasting life is given to you on this day. It will be affirmed on Easter, but the gift is made today.
Merry Christmas.
