When we’re able to strip back the overly-familiar parts of the story of

Christmas it reveals the heart of the Christian faith. Something isn’t

quite right with us and our world. We’re not always the people we want to

be. And we’ve not always treated ourselves, other people and our world as

we should. As silly as it may sound, is not our recent entertainment of

going ‘full on goblin mode’, at least in part an admittance that everything

else we’ve tried to bring happiness and self-actualisation hasn’t quite got

us to where we want to go? Christmas says what we’re in need of is not

something from within us, but something from without. It’s the story of God

coming in search of his people. He’s come to love us into full existence.

It’s only when we know his love revealed in the person of his Son Jesus

that we won’t want to ever be anyone else again. And it’s his love that

lifts us up into healing, forgiveness, purpose and meaning. He it is who

we’re looking for. It’s why we celebrate. We’re not alone. God is with us.

By Ed Flint