Light
of Christ
“The
people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living
in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned....For to us a
child is born, to us a son is given... And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace.”
Isaiah 9:2
& 6
The Christmas dawn was
breathtaking. So bright was the light that the whole sky turned pink.
What a glorious beginning to Christmas Day. I will spend this day
cooking for my sons and daughter-in-law. In my one yearly bow to
tradition, I will bake a ham in the old way (meaning the way my
mother did it!), with brown sugar, studs of cloves, and pineapple
slices. It will be accompanied by the proverbial green bean casserole
and sweet potatoes. Doesn't get more Southern than that.
Hopefully, you are in the
midst of family today—celebrating the end of another year and
happily exchanging gifts. These traditional gatherings are the super
glue of mature family life—once all the children are grown and not
living at home. We come together to remind ourselves that we belong
to each other, and to celebrate that with gifts, food, and stories.
Let's not forget the
reason we are gathered—the birth of Jesus. Whatever you believe, or
don't believe, about Christianity, Jesus set an example for the whole
world—one of gentleness, generosity, and peaceful protest. His
wisdom and his ability to heal the broken was and is an eternal gift
to humankind. Jesus was the window through which the Light of God
shown most brightly.
Here is a Gaelic blessing
for your Christmas day:
“...Deep
peace of the Son of Peace to you,
who, swift
as the wave and pervasive as the air,
quiet as
the earth and shining like a star,
breathes
into us His Peace and His Spirit.
Deep peace
of the Son of Peace to you.”
(Mary
Rogers; adapted from the Gaelic; Earth Prayers, p.173)
May your Christmas be
blessed with family, hearty with food and gifting, and, above all,
filled with the light and love of the Christ child.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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