And as a species we don’t tend to do very well with uncertainty - it makes

us anxious. When world-views are shaken and things we thought were solid no

longer appear to be, our brains will do everything they can to stop us from

experiencing uncertainty. We can be tempted either to double down on

certainty (despite all evidence to the contrary) or demolish the whole

edifice of our beliefs entirely. Many people feel caught between these two

extremes when it comes to their Christian faith. But the story of Christmas

invites us on a different path. Jesus did not take flesh in order simply to

be believed in - but to be met. He became one of us to be with us. Putting

our faith in Jesus (as opposed to a belief system) is a lifelong journey of

him forming and challenging all our beliefs and actions. And it means that

we neither need to hold onto certainty dogmatically, nor throw everything

away as soon as doubt creeps in. Rather we allow God’s spirit to change us

from glory to glory. And we can meet an uncertain world in confidence, not

our own, but his. Because Christmas means that once and for all: God is

with us - so we never need to be afraid again.