a year to indefinite: O Holy Night

A baby. Born in a stable. To a virgin. Announced by angels. Visited by shepherds.

Not a likely story perhaps? Not believable? Not a best seller?

And yet this one small story divides nations and families. There is power in this small story. It's inside is bigger than it's outside.

Even if you believe that this is just a story and has no grounding in reality, you can at least see the power this story has had through the last 2000 years of our history. Wars have been fought, lives have been lost, both in the passionate defence of this story and it's truth and in the desperate attempt to wipe this story from the face of the earth.

And if, like me, you believe that not only is this story true, but is Truth, the biggest reality there is, then you will know that this power is very real. Because if you believe this story, then you also believe that this baby, born in a manger, grew up to die on a cross, as a ransom for our lives. That all the crap in our lives separated us from God. That we needed God but were far from Him. That Jesus, GOD, came to live with us, became frail with us, loved and laughed and cried like us, to show his great love for us. He showed us how to live and ultimately gave his life that we could live that way. With freedom. With love. With peace and joy. He redeemed us. You believe that he left to return to the Father but that he sent his spirit, that is the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, who is Christ's power made manifest in our lives. That in the same way that Jesus performed miracles in the brief time he was here on earth, the Holy Spirit's power is here for us to do greater works than Jesus himself did.

I know, I know. If you don't believe it, it all sounds a little crazy. But for me it's the only thing that makes sense of life. It's the only thing I can rely on in this crazy world. Because when I look around me, it does seem as if the craziness is the world we live in.

So for me, this is what I celebrate and remember at Christmas.

The stuff that comes with it is just that.

Stuff.

It doesn't really matter whether December 25th was actually the day that God arrived on earth. It doesn't even matter which year. It just matters that he did. That God, creator of the universe - God, came. For me it's the ultimate hope for peace on the earth and good will to all men.

And as for the other Christmas story. A fat man. In a red suit. Flying reindeer.

That one I can't believe.