When God came to rescue his creation, he drew near to us in the birth of Jesus. Angels sang, shepherds worshiped, Mary and Joseph were in awe––it’s a miraculous story. But sometimes we forget the humility of the circumstances Jesus chose to enter. Mary was a first-time mom. The nation of Israel was oppressed by Roman rule. A wicked king was bent on destroying Jesus and anyone who got in his way. Jesus came right in the middle of some very dark times.

Christmas finds us all in strange places this year. 2020 has brought us all a mixed bag of necessary perspective changes, as well as struggle and hardship. But like the first Christmas, our current reality is the context in which God wants to show up in our lives, making even our humblest circumstances sacred. God will come––we have to let him.