The Stable Child

Here comes Christmas again!

Over the many years I have lived in Canada I’ve come to appreciate the value of lights. Lights that brighten long dark nights, helping lift and dispel some of winter’s inevitable gloom. We go to all manner of effort to decorate. Gardens adorned with candy cane and red nosed reindeers, inflatable Santas, inflatable gifts, inflatable toys – all lit up!

Come morning, and a drive past the same homes reveals piles of rubber and plastic crumpled on the ground; nothing beautiful or inspiring as the sun lights the day. I don’t mean to be depressing…. but sometimes 24 hours reveals greater truth than two hours after dark. So much ado about nothing, if that’s all there is to Christmas. Surely?

The Stable Child, born over two thousand years ago in Bethlehem revealed truths unheard of, revelation unimagined, and hope unfettered; quite independent of meddling human hands and minds. With the passing of time it has become so easy to relegate Christmas and accounts of that stable birth to the realm of children, coloring books, and nursery rhyme songs masquerading as carols. And who’s to blame? There are many who have not the slightest idea about there being any more to the season than letters to Santa, Rudolph’s Red Nose, and Bing Crosby crooning nostalgically of a White Christmas.

The coming of the Stable Child, Jesus, is bigger than the first man on the moon, more profound than the first printing press, of greater value than discovering fire, or even inventing penicillin. All those wonderful events in human history in fact flow from the dawn of creation, back beyond any big bang, to the Creator. Life has meaning, purpose, consequences, value, and even accountability Unfortunately we lost the plot long before the arrival of the Stable Child… “One small step for God, one giant leap for mankind!”

The revelation grew with the child.

What was invisible has become visible – in the Stable Child.

What was unknown, was made known.

What was overwhelming in darkness was overcome in the light.

What appeared meaningless was infused with purpose.

What ended in death was resurrected into a new life beyond.

The Stable Child’s name was Jesus. Unfortunately in our culture a name that has become a common expletive, a blasphemous expression of anger, a meaningless exclamation on the lips of those who know no better – such is our numbness of spirit.

Jesus rang the bell for life on earth to remind, reveal, and restore – wherever, and whenever anyone cared to listen, seek, knock, ask, and find. He lived in human form, spoke with human words, experienced life with human limitations, entered human history to help us find answers in a language we can hear and understand.

He said that God is real, the Creator is personal, the One behind all of life is relational and knowable, believe it or not! If you have seen me you have a glimpse of him, who is our Father. God speaks like a father, loves like a father, and relates like a father. He has no favorites. He is for every human being on the face of the earth. For our well-being, for our healthy identity, for our sense of being valued, for our finding and knowing purpose and love, on earth as in heaven.

I could write so much more about the revelation of this Stable Child, Jesus. The gift of his life crucified on a Cross for our individual and communal acts of rebellion and indifference; sin. Of forgiveness, hope, friendship, and healing that are by-products of knowing him, and being befriended by him. Of the transformation and significance he brings, strength he empowers us with, peace beyond understanding, insights that sometimes seem obscure and at other times are so clear; and on and on…

It’s all here, and there, to be found, discovered, unwrapped, and embraced; in the broad light of day where everything is revealed and exposed. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Truth is the cradle in the stable where the child was born. Truth is the Cross upon which he yielded his earthly life. Truth is the empty grave where death was defeated and he was raised. Truth is his for the offering and ours for the taking. Truth sets free where lies confuse. Truth invites questions, answers with love and corrects gently. Truth is rooted in the Stable Child who’s life courageously illuminated its integrity for all humanity.

Have yourself a blessed and merry Christmas. God knows, more of a stable life is what we all need in this confused day and age.