Christmas This Year…

Okay, I’m not going to start singing the TobyMac song of the same name… but this is an appropriate title for this BLOG.

This year unlike any other in my memory and for many others, it has been a very strange and unusual year. The whole thing of Covid-19 and lockdowns, numbers go down, they go back up, more lockdowns and restrictions to try and combat it, and the worst is Christmas this year… it might be very different than we have ever experienced.

The first Christmas saw Joseph and Mary make a trip to Bethlehem while Mary was expecting. Not pleasant at all. There was a census – again not pleasant. And a selfish king who wanted to kill Jesus. Horrific! It was a quiet event with just Mary and Joseph in a stable. Angels did sing to the shepherd, and the shepherds came of course, and the later on the wisemen – but it was a simple and quiet Christmas away from family and friends.

Now think of this Christmas – we might be in lockdown/restriction mode where we can’t go see family and friends. It might be a simple and quiet Christmas with just our immediate family. And that’s okay…

Today we have what Mary and Joseph didn’t have – technology like Zoom and Google meetings and so on to video chat with family and friends that we will miss should we go into new lockdown measures.

Whatever happens, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, and we celebrate that fact whether in the presence of family and friends or not.

I know it would be such a sad thing to be in lockdown at Christmas. It’s not something I want at all. We didn’t get to see our family at Thanksgiving already, and I really don’t want Christmas to be out too for visiting.

I know whatever happens, Christmas this year is not cancelled – we will still celebrate Jesus’ birth one way or another!

God bless!

Pastor Andrew Robertson

Announcer and Ask The Pastor host