Fear not!

We are on our way to Christmas. Here in the Nordic countries it is getting darker each day as we are making our way to Christmas, week by week, step by step. This year our journey seems even darker than usually. We are traveling in an unknown ground, in the shadow of Covid-19. We are getting ready for an altogether different Christmas.

It was in the middle of a dark night that the great message of Christmas was proclaimed for the first time. An angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds in the darkness of night. “Fear not!”, he said to the startled group. Fear not, for I bring you good, amazing and joyful news.

The Creator of all, God almighty loves us, the works of His hands, so much that He becomes one of us. The Christmas child, Jesus, was born into the darkest night and will stand by our side weather we face times of light or darkness. And when we are facing the end of our lives, he will carry us through death to life everlasting.

The message of Christmas is a promise of a new reality, a realm of God where His good will reigns.  In that reality darkness must give way to light, selfishness to justice, fear to trust. Because of that our journey to Christmas becomes a journey of hope and surrender. This Advent season we are invited to trust in the promises of God. We may travel in darkness, but we are always walking towards light.

Alongside and overlapping this reality we live in exists another reality; The reality of first Christmas, the realm of our compassionate and loving God, the realm of light and hope. And in that reality the loving message of God delivered by angels on Christmas night is proclaimed to all humankind in every corner of the earth: “Fear not!”

 

With best wishes for a blessed Christmas

Kaisamari