Christmas Day 2014, Queen Camel
We spend our days waiting for a word:
‘Yes’ words like:
You’re pregnant
You’ve got the job
The money is in the account;
‘No’ words like:
It’s terminal
You’re fired
We’re out of stock….
Words change everything:
Words spoken in church:
‘I do’
Goodbye
You’re forgiven
Words spoken in other places:
It’s over
I love you
Sign on the dotted line
We talk about God’s word – remembering the story of creation, in Genesis, that when God spoke, the world was made;
And remembering the story of Jesus, God’s positive word offering a new creation to those who would follow in his ways.
The words which come along with the baby Jesus in our much-loved story of Christmas are words like these:
Joy
Peace
Goodwill
And the message of Christmas is that if we take Jesus, God’s word, into our lives and our hearts then the words by which we live our lives change completely.
St Francis said it best – when we are God’s people then we live God’s words:
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where [the word] is hatred let me bring your love;
Where [the word] is injury, your pardon, Lord;
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you:
Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved, as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, only light;
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.
May the inspiration of Christmas make these words our words, today and through the days and year to come.
