Hertingfordbury Parish News: December 2008

Clergy Letter

Keep Christmas Special    

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:

Twelve strips of tinsel, eleven lights a-flashing, ten baubles dangling, nine cards a-sparkling, eight towels a-matching, seven books a-flicking, six packs of Stella, Five chocolate coins!, fourteen pairs of socks, three garish ties. too many sweets and a cheap imitation fir tree.

Every year we bemoan how commercialised the whole Christmas season has become. The ironic icing on the cake this year for me has to be the retail giant Tesco’s decision to adopt a new slogan for the Christmas season - ‘keep Christmas special’. I assume that the sort of ‘special’ they have in mind involves spending lots of money in their stores!

Apart from carols and turkey dinners, the Queen’s speech and repeats of Chitty Chitty bang bang, what is special about Christmas?

Christians believe that centuries ago God spoke into the chaos and turmoil of this world; not with trumpet calls but in the cries of a newborn. God chose to be born into the squalor and filth of a stable; to risk everything by putting his life into the hands of a teenage girl.  Why?

Let me offer a suggestion from a chapter of my own life.  Thirteen years ago at college I met a beautiful woman with twinkling brown eyes. From that first moment I knew that she was the ‘one’. Rachel however had no such epiphany; in fact I barely registered on her radar. I tried several times to engineer a crossing of our paths but to little avail. I could have asked a friend to deliver a love note. I could have sent an email. I could have requested that a radio DJ declare my love over the airwaves. I could, but in matters of love, you must go yourself.  And that’s what I did. One evening I noticed that Rachel had gone for a walk so I positioned myself by the college entrance in the hope that she would return through those same doors. I waited and waited until finally she came. And the rest as they say is history...

At Christmas we remember that God himself came to tell us and to show us how much we are loved. He could have sent an angel or a prophet or an intergalactic email but instead he chose to come himself. Because in matters of love... you must go yourself

Maybe one way to keep Christmas special this year is not to confine its message to a few days in December, but to allow that message to sink in through the days and months that follow

Have a joyful, peaceful, love-full Christmas

Alan

Please note: Although the Hertingfordbury Parish News is produced by St. Mary's PCC, the opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the PCC.