Here we are again on the brink of our Christmas celebrations and don’t they come around quickly!
Maybe part of your plans this year are the same as part of mine. And that is to find time to settle down in front of the TV, with chocolate orange in hand, and watch as many of the old favourite Christmas films as time allows.
There is one, which seems to come up every year and it’s based on a book by Charles Dickens called a Christmas Carol. (My favourites are the ones called Scrooge with Alastair Sim and the Muppet Christmas Carol)
In the book and the films, we have Scrooge, a rather unpleasant, selfish person, whose main love, and focus is money. But we also have Scrooges nephew and the Cratchit family, who know what Christmas is all about. There is one line in the story that says so much about the real meaning of Christmas and it comes from Tiny Tim, the poorly but sweet son in the Cratchit family. They are all sitting around the Christmas dinner table, and he says, “God bless us, everyone”
No matter how we choose to spend Christmas this year, maybe we can all share this wonderful prayer together, God bless us everyone, remembering that this is exactly what God has already done when He sent His son Jesus, for us. And maybe too, as part of that prayer we can ask that we are part of that blessing. Just as He blesses us, so we go on to bless others, a paper chain of blessings linking us all together.
There is a lovely bible reading that the Salvation Army Choir sings and it says this “The Lord, bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace (based on Numbers 6:24-26)
As we journey through this Christmas season, towards the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, my prayer is that you will know that kind of peace.
Bless you everyone and Merry Christmas. Captain Amanda
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
