Christmas – Sunday 26th December What’s it all for?

I know people who have let Christmas go. They don’t buy gifts or give gifts. They paddle against the cultural stream of consuming and purchasing and everything that Christmas has become. On the one hand I get it. I find myself wanting to escape the consuming and alternative Godless story now dominant in the story we now tell.

But give it up all together? As a person of Jesus? No. Better to let the Holy Spirit baptize it into what it actually has always been than be thankless and giftless and maybe a bit lifeless to what God has done in this baby boy and those around him.

But I do find myself, not that it is all over again, except for the crazy Boxing Day sale now in full swing as we speak, What is all this for – not the lights and food and the tree and the travel and huge effort, but what is this stable and angelic song and big star and troubled power figure and all the rest of the account for?

I think we have our answer in Paul’s words to the Christians in the city of Colossae

It is all for peace. It is all for relationship peace between broken and often peaceless people. It is all for a the giving by God to the world of a new human community that is fundamentally different to what the world could ever be or achieve or become itself. – A community of peace.

This Christmas event begins in earnest God’s peace work – God’s peace keeping without military force or threat of judgement and incarceration – God’s peacekeeping is done by a woman’s labour pains, a father’s troubled obedience, a cry of a new born warmed by the breath of an ox or two on cold straw.

Everyone is drawn into it – wealthy scientists, cluey educators, shifty shepherds, local business operators, holy messengers in choral voice … Heaven and earth unified and at peace for a moment as the boy of promise arrived.

And this is what he achieved for us. This is why we are people of peace…

We are people of peace because God made peace and called us into it. Everything comes from that Christmas gift.

We are not the same as we oncew were. Something has happened to us. Like THAT gift you got one year that really changed your direction or taught you something or gave you a joy you still remember and cherish, this boy has gifted us a new direction, a new life, a new future with which we head into the future…

Hidden in this boy at the manger and temple is the gift that transforms prideful, broken, confused, foolish or smart people.

When he is allowed to come in, all that goes out and we are a house unified and new and ready and useful.

And this boy’s message that we are to let dwell in us?

I am about my Father’s business. We are above all, about our Father’s kingdom business, more than our own family business.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to announce good news to people suffering, struggling, immobile, isolated, unable to hear or speak or find me by themselves. I have found them. I have found you.

Repent of your clinging to self and people and things more than my promises to you that cover ever part of your life while I give you life, year by year, day by day.

And love each other. Welcome the stranger, forgive the sinner, serve them all in love.

And while you are all about these things, say something. Say things about me.

Teachers and mentors we all are for all. Speaking, giving, doing the words of our God together and with others.

I heard someone relate a story to me about a fried he had who told him that this Christmas a lady he knows told him that at the various gathering of her family that she was going to whatever was appropriate about God’s version of Christmas – about Jesus, about God’s forgiveness – speak good news in God’s words. I hope she did and I hoe God was heard and maybe even thanked.

So, this is what God did all this for – peace between people and peace between people and him. A shared life. Clear conscience, high fellowship around the table, family peace, friend peace, dare I say, ‘world peace’!

The year ends with this new beginning again.

Will you allow it? Will you allow peace to rule you?

Jesus is still about his Father’s business in your life and in this world. We are his people of peace with that greatest gift to share.

That’s what he did all this for – peace.

It is his peace but it is ours to share by words and deed.

The world has a chance. This boy is its only way of experiencing real peace right to its core.

Peace leads to thanks. Thanks to God is what you want to give when you know his peace and peace wins over conflict and discord between people and even all creatures, so extensive is this peace of this boy.

He’s done it again, people. The boy of peace gives his peace to you again, and we are thankful for the hope we have for another year in his peace.

Amen.

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