Thursday 10 December 2009

Background

As Christmas looms ever closer I wonder if you have thoughtabout what we might fear most from this season. As children we wereworried that Father Christmas might not come. Had we been goodenough?

Now I suspect one of the things our society teaches us to fear mostare two sides of the same coin. We are told to fear strangers -children are told to ignore them. But at the same time we fearbeing alone. Perhaps even more so at Christmas than any othertime.

Over the last nine years I have spent a lot of time at Christmas atthe Whitechapel Mission in London cooking breakfast for people whoare homeless, as well as providing clothing and most importantly asmilingface (I would say friendly but some of you have met me).During these times strangers have become friends and we have allbecome less lonely in each other's company.

I wonder how often we remind ourselves and others of the truth inthe above verse from Isaiah. I wonder whether we dare even believethat God might hold our hand and say "Do not fear, I will helpyou".

In this season, will the images of God that are portrayed in themedia - on our TV screens, in our ears and in our papers - help usgrasp this verse from Isaiah for ourselves? What difference wouldit make for us, for our neighbours, for the world if people wereable to hear this message for themselves?

The rest of the passage continues with a variety of pictures of thetransformation that will come through the creative power of God atwork in people who know it is God who holds their right hand, helpsthem along the way, and God who says "Do not fear".

To Ponder

How does the image of God in verse 13 comparewith the one you normally have of God?

What images of God might other people catchglimpses of through you?

What might you do this Christmas to discover ifGod is helping you and holding your hand? Or to discover if God issaying "Do not fear"?

What might you do or say to help others discoverthis God for themselves?