Tuesday
An Introspective Christmas
"Christmas isn't Christmas 'till it happens in your heart..."
I didn't give out any presents this year. No cards, no gifts, no nothing. Partially because I'm lazy (I admit it) and that I have really no time (and no money if I wanted to nitpick at myself), but also because I've been quite disillusioned by all the commercialisation that's now seemed to characterise the modern Christmas. Shopping for gifts to give, presents to receive, having a good time, fun during the festive season, it's the end of the year, let's enjoy ourselves.
"There must be more than this...Spirit of God, I wait for You..."
I wanted to take a step back this Christmas. I wanted to find out not just the true meaning, but really the true Spirit of Christmas. I didn't have much time to do that. Since the end of term, my term break has been hectic in preparation for Fusion 07 (NYP School of Design Graduation Show), and the closest I've been to an extended time of reflection was the Youth Leaders' Retreat, although that eventually settled in another direction. So all that's left of my search for a deeper understanding of Christmas was the couple of minutes on the bus to school or on the train to church, alone with my Bible and Philip Yancey's 'The Jesus I Never Knew'.
"O little town of Bethlehem, looks like another silent night..."
The first Christmas was nothing like the one we know today. There was only one bright light; a huge star above a small Israeli farm, a rural outskirt of the big city Jerusalem. A troubled young virgin whom no one believes except her husband looks at her Baby lying in a manger. To human eyes, this Baby is nothing but trouble. He caused shame upon His mother, came to the world in a place where the only space left was in a small barn, surrounded by farm animals, unwanted by the world. In only a matter of days, He would cause the death of little children all over Bethlehem, causing grief to mothers all over the land. Eventually He would grow up incurring the wrath of the Jewish establishment, who would finally sentence Him to the worse punishment allowed in the Empire, crucifixion; all before His 35th birthday. Even after His death, many others were imprisoned, even put to death, all in His name. This was not a merry Christmas indeed.
"Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb..."
So why do we sing with such joy on Christmas? Why do we welcome a King that came to die? Simply because He IS a King. And not just any King. He is the King of kings! God and Lord of all the nations! But Christmas is not just about that. It's about the Most High King, coming down to the lowest of lows...for love. It's like Lee Kuan Yew coming to our house to clean our toilets because he loves us on a personal basis. But Jesus did even more than that. He came to die as a substitute for us. He died so that we can live. And most importantly, He emerged victorious when He rose from the dead, victorious over death, that we may die no more! And that's why we sing so joyfully, because we see Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter as a whole. A God who became part of His creation to save them, by sacrificing Himself on the cross, and eventually conquering sin and death, bringing us along with Him! He built a bridge, and all we need to do is cross over to the other side before the side we're on crumbles and falls into the abyss below.
"He came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross, my debt to pay, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky..."
And that is what Christmas is all about. It's not about the presents, it's not about the bright lights and festivities, it's not about Santa and reindeer and all that. It's about the greatest and most glorious King coming down to our level, our lowdown, pathetic level, going through the worse pains in the world to bring us back where He came from, where we were always meant to be.
"Christmas isn't Christmas 'till it happens in your heart..."
I didn't give out any presents this year. No cards, no gifts, no nothing. Partially because I'm lazy (I admit it) and that I have really no time (and no money if I wanted to nitpick at myself), but also because I've been quite disillusioned by all the commercialisation that's now seemed to characterise the modern Christmas. Shopping for gifts to give, presents to receive, having a good time, fun during the festive season, it's the end of the year, let's enjoy ourselves.
"There must be more than this...Spirit of God, I wait for You..."
I wanted to take a step back this Christmas. I wanted to find out not just the true meaning, but really the true Spirit of Christmas. I didn't have much time to do that. Since the end of term, my term break has been hectic in preparation for Fusion 07 (NYP School of Design Graduation Show), and the closest I've been to an extended time of reflection was the Youth Leaders' Retreat, although that eventually settled in another direction. So all that's left of my search for a deeper understanding of Christmas was the couple of minutes on the bus to school or on the train to church, alone with my Bible and Philip Yancey's 'The Jesus I Never Knew'.
"O little town of Bethlehem, looks like another silent night..."
The first Christmas was nothing like the one we know today. There was only one bright light; a huge star above a small Israeli farm, a rural outskirt of the big city Jerusalem. A troubled young virgin whom no one believes except her husband looks at her Baby lying in a manger. To human eyes, this Baby is nothing but trouble. He caused shame upon His mother, came to the world in a place where the only space left was in a small barn, surrounded by farm animals, unwanted by the world. In only a matter of days, He would cause the death of little children all over Bethlehem, causing grief to mothers all over the land. Eventually He would grow up incurring the wrath of the Jewish establishment, who would finally sentence Him to the worse punishment allowed in the Empire, crucifixion; all before His 35th birthday. Even after His death, many others were imprisoned, even put to death, all in His name. This was not a merry Christmas indeed.
"Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb..."
So why do we sing with such joy on Christmas? Why do we welcome a King that came to die? Simply because He IS a King. And not just any King. He is the King of kings! God and Lord of all the nations! But Christmas is not just about that. It's about the Most High King, coming down to the lowest of lows...for love. It's like Lee Kuan Yew coming to our house to clean our toilets because he loves us on a personal basis. But Jesus did even more than that. He came to die as a substitute for us. He died so that we can live. And most importantly, He emerged victorious when He rose from the dead, victorious over death, that we may die no more! And that's why we sing so joyfully, because we see Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter as a whole. A God who became part of His creation to save them, by sacrificing Himself on the cross, and eventually conquering sin and death, bringing us along with Him! He built a bridge, and all we need to do is cross over to the other side before the side we're on crumbles and falls into the abyss below.
"He came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross, my debt to pay, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky..."
And that is what Christmas is all about. It's not about the presents, it's not about the bright lights and festivities, it's not about Santa and reindeer and all that. It's about the greatest and most glorious King coming down to our level, our lowdown, pathetic level, going through the worse pains in the world to bring us back where He came from, where we were always meant to be.
Monday
The 道 of Christmas
太 初 有 道 ， 道 与 神 同 在 ， 道 就 是 神 。 这 道 太 初 与 神 同 在 。 万 物 是 藉 着 他 造 的 ； 凡 被 造 的 ， 没 有 一 样 不 是 藉 着 他 造 的 。 生 命 在 他 里 头 ， 这 生 命 就 是 人 的 光 。 光 照 在 黑 暗 里 ， 黑 暗 却 不 接 受 光 。 有 一 个 人 ， 是 从 神 那 里 差 来 的 ， 名 叫 约 翰 。 这 人 来 ， 为 要 作 见 证 ， 就 是 为 光 作 见 证 ， 叫 众 人 因 他 可 以 信 。 他 不 是 那 光 ， 乃 是 要 为 光 作 见 证 。 那 光 是 真 光 ， 照 亮 一 切 生 在 世 上 的 人 。 他 在 世 界 ， 世 界 也 是 藉 着 他 造 的 ， 世 界 却 不 认 识 他 。 他 到 自 己 的 地 方 来 ， 自 己 的 人 倒 不 接 待 他 。 凡 接 待 他 的 ， 就 是 信 他 名 的 人 ， 他 就 赐 他 们 权 柄 ， 作 神 的 儿 女 。 这 等 人 不 是 从 血 气 生 的 ， 不 是 从 情 欲 生 的 ， 也 不 是 从 人 意 生 的 ， 乃 是 从 神 生 的 。 道 成 了 肉 身 ， 住 在 我 们 中 间 ， 充 充 满 满 的 有 恩 典 有 真 理 。 我 们 也 见 过 他 的 荣 光 ， 正 是 父 独 生 子 的 荣 光 。
太 初 有 道 ， 道 与 神 同 在 ， 道 就 是 神 。 这 道 太 初 与 神 同 在 。 万 物 是 藉 着 他 造 的 ； 凡 被 造 的 ， 没 有 一 样 不 是 藉 着 他 造 的 。 生 命 在 他 里 头 ， 这 生 命 就 是 人 的 光 。 光 照 在 黑 暗 里 ， 黑 暗 却 不 接 受 光 。 有 一 个 人 ， 是 从 神 那 里 差 来 的 ， 名 叫 约 翰 。 这 人 来 ， 为 要 作 见 证 ， 就 是 为 光 作 见 证 ， 叫 众 人 因 他 可 以 信 。 他 不 是 那 光 ， 乃 是 要 为 光 作 见 证 。 那 光 是 真 光 ， 照 亮 一 切 生 在 世 上 的 人 。 他 在 世 界 ， 世 界 也 是 藉 着 他 造 的 ， 世 界 却 不 认 识 他 。 他 到 自 己 的 地 方 来 ， 自 己 的 人 倒 不 接 待 他 。 凡 接 待 他 的 ， 就 是 信 他 名 的 人 ， 他 就 赐 他 们 权 柄 ， 作 神 的 儿 女 。 这 等 人 不 是 从 血 气 生 的 ， 不 是 从 情 欲 生 的 ， 也 不 是 从 人 意 生 的 ， 乃 是 从 神 生 的 。 道 成 了 肉 身 ， 住 在 我 们 中 间 ， 充 充 满 满 的 有 恩 典 有 真 理 。 我 们 也 见 过 他 的 荣 光 ， 正 是 父 独 生 子 的 荣 光 。
