As if…

Many years ago it became popular to hang signs saying, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Well, I knew that and I suppose that most people knew it too. Quickly, that sign was replaced with, “Put Christ back in Christmas.” A little more challenging, so I kind of liked it better. Once while driving with a friend, I read the sign out loud and his response was, “As if!”

As if it were possible to take Christ out of Christmas. As if it were possible to take Christ out of anything. A new sign is making the rounds today and it takes the challenge a step further, “Put Christ back in Christian.” And to that I say, “As if it were possible to take Christ out of anyone.”

At the core of our faith is the understanding that God is fully present to every person, all the time. It doesn’t matter who the person is: the colour of their skin, their wealth, how good they are or even how faithful they are. God’s love is so deep and profound that if I ascend to heaven, God is there; if I make my bed in deepest depth, God is there. No matter where I run or where anybody runs we will always be within God’s love.

The birth of the Christ-child that we celebrate every Christmas, is not just about the birth of a child who happens to be the incarnation of God, it is about Emmanuel, God with us. And Emmanuel is about each of us giving birth to God’s presence in our lives and in every part of our lives. As if we could prevent it from happening. The Christian journey is about deepening our awareness of the living God in our life and in the lives of everyone around us.