“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8-14 KJV)”
The Christmas season is here again.
Like last year, when we looked to Christmas for hope in the midst of the COVID pandemic, this holiday season comes at a time of uncertainty.
Fear of the pandemic lingers for many and uncertainty grows with rising prices, supply interruptions and the lack of manpower at a host of businesses.
Christmas is the greatest season of the year not because of gifts, lights and family gatherings, though those are all really great and needed.
Rather, the power of Christmas comes in the story of the birth of Jesus, the savior of the world.
And the nativity story speaks directly to the fear and uncertainty of the times.
The shepherds on that first Christmas were startled by a host of angels proclaiming the birth of the Christ child.
It is easy to imagine they thought the end of the world had arrived. Not many people had ever seen such a supernatural sight.
But the angel of the Lord spoke directly to them, telling them not only not to fear but also to take comfort in the fact that the birth of Jesus offered mankind peace on earth and good will toward every man.
So in these uncertain times, let’s look to that original lesson and find the peace of Christ and show good will to everyone we meet.
–– Shane Scoggins