Family

For many people, Christmas is a time of thanksgiving, of rest and joy, of making memories with family and loved ones. Christmas is very much about family and tradition for me as well. I was thinking about that and wondering ‘how does Jesus fit in?’ I mean, this holiday really ought to be about him so it shouldn’t be a stretch to trace the path between Jesus’ birth and values such as family.

Without Christmas, without the birth of Jesus, without God incarnate, I believe that we’d all be lost and lonely souls, separated from God by our sin. Sin is a heavy word for many people, but if you considers it’s true meaning “to miss the mark” with the mark being perfection, it’s easier to conceive how all humankind is troubled by it. All people have a desire to belong, to know and be known and God satisfies this desire in the deepest form for he knows us better than ourselves, our loved ones, our families–and even still he loves and accepts us. Jesus needed to become one of us, human like us, in order to adopt our orphan souls into the family of God–that He might know us and we him. So, yes, Christmas is about family, God’s family and his great desire to invite all people into his family. This deep desire and love for his children lead him to humble himself to the utmost, just as the unconditional love of parents sometimes begs them sacrifice themselves and their own feelings to do what is best for their children.

I am humbled by this selfless love and I celebrate the gift of God’s adoption and friendship. There is nothing better than being a part of the family of God.