O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
We lived in Melbourne, Australia, for six years. There, the celebration of the coming of our Lord is on Dec. 25, the same as it is throughout much of the world, and Christmas falls in the middle of the long, summer school holiday when most people are thinking about summer vacations. There were so many different events to prioritize, so many changes to our previous routine while we lived there, and I know many of you have also experienced such customs in other countries.
We would go to church on Christmas Eve—no poinsettias around the altar, but spring and summer flowers everywhere. After the midnight service, everyone was offered a glass of champagne, and we would stand outside to toast the birth of a Baby Boy. On Christmas Day, we always had family and friends around for a pool party. It would be too hot to be indoors (as few houses there had air conditioning in the 1990s). The one thing that I never got used to was receiving Christmas cards from the U.K. with snow in the pictures when it was more than 100 degrees outside! We would listen and sing the words of carols written for the northern hemisphere… “In the bleak mid-winter!”
Remembering my time there also makes me think about how believers around the world celebrate the Good News. For all, it is a joyous occasion of love. However, not all can be as open about it as we are. So, let’s remember those who want to acknowledge the birth, but they have to do it in secret, those who are persecuted for their beliefs. We pray each week for the homeless and the sick, but at this time, we also need to pray for those who face great danger because of their trust in Jesus. Give them the grace and strength to remain steadfast in whatever hardships they are facing.
