A Christmas Sunrise

Last week, I saw this spectacular sunrise from my bedroom window and was reminded that Christmas is a sunrise. As we blunder around in the darkness of a Covid year, in the shadow of recession and death, what a wonderful promise this is -

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those walking in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

Christmas 2020 may have been cancelled for some of us and with many, I was disappointed about lost family time but the heart of Christmas is the promise of a new dawn and that has not been robbed.

Before Jesus was born, Zechariah spoke of “the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1)

Imagine if the sun never rose. Imagine constantly stumbling in the dark.

God in Christ lights up the dark to guide us along the path of peace.

At the end of this strange Covid year, I need guiding into peace. I find stress bubbles up too fast – that changes when I turn to Jesus.

As a nation, we need guiding into the path of peace. In the recent Reith lecture, Mark Carney (former Governor of the Bank of England) described a country in crisis - credit crisis, corona crisis and climate crisis. He raised huge questions. How do we work out what we value? Why do we value Amazon higher than the Amazon? What are the values that will light up our way out of this darkness?

As we look ahead into the unknown, personally and as a nation, we can find those values in our God who is full of such tender mercy towards us, that he has given himself in Christ to guide us into peace.

May that golden sonrise guide us into peace.

Thank you so much for being part of Gift of Blessing Trust! Happy Christmas!

Love

Kate