Moderator's message
I once lived next door to a family whose children really looked forward to Fridays.
Their dad’s homecoming meant it was time for their ‘Friday Special’ – a small gift, sometimes chocolate bars, sometimes toys, sometimes tickets to a movie, sometimes money – but usually something they could do or share together. The whole household celebrated their ‘Friday specials’.
We’re about to celebrate God’s ‘Christmas Special’ to us – a gift we can all share together – the birth and the continuing presence of Jesus. How will you celebrate God’s ‘Christmas Special’ this year?
There will be many of you who spend the day celebrating with family and friends, sharing a meal, exchanging gifts and attending worship; but there will be others who spend Christmas alone. Alone, meaning no one to share a 'Friday Special' with, an empty household and possibly, not even a conversation. This can leave someone feeling like there is little to celebrate and far from being festive.
During the holiday season you might hear and read that the Uniting Church believes that ‘no one should feel alone’. Loneliness can leave people feeling, sad, isolated and disconnected from others.
We, as humans have been created to connect socially and form close bonds with others so when that goes missing it impacts our mental and physical well-being.
The truth of Christmas – which comes from the very heart of God – is all about God connecting in a very special way, with his people, whom he loves. God wants to have a relationship with everyone.
That small bundle of humanity, lying in a feeding trough in a poor stable in a little, backwater town revealed the very heart of God - the vulnerability of the Lord of all the heavens, coming to us - God-with-us, as someone once said – “God with skin on.”
By becoming human, God began, in Jesus, to show us the very power of the love God has for us.
On that starry night in Bethlehem, over 2000 years ago, God's plan for humanity began to unfold. The liberating love of God, the renewing love of God, the power of the love of God was shown in that birth. God so loved humanity that God's own heart, God's own Child - Jesus, became one of us.
Knowing that God became human in Jesus and understands us, may not provide an instant 'cure' for someone experiencing feelings of loneliness, or the pain caused by it. But we can hope and pray that it gives some comfort for the soul, some hope and peace in realising that you are not alone.
Maybe this Christmas will be a quiet one for you or you are still awaiting an invitation for Christmas lunch. If you think you are going to be alone this Christmas – and would like not to be – please know that you’ll receive a sincere welcome from a Uniting Church community near you. There is information available at unitingpeople.org.au.
Enjoy and celebrate God’s ‘Christmas Special’ for you.
Rob Williams
Moderator, Uniting Church SA
