By Dave Tiessen
It is often the premise for the humour of comics and sitcoms in laughing about the guests you’d rather not have come, or the guests that stay too long.
On the other end of the spectrum it is often the premise of Christmas songs and movies, expressed as a longing to be together with special loved ones during the holidays.
One of the things we love about Christmas is that most of us make time to get together with family and friends. Parents and kids and grandkids gather to exchange gifts and feast together. In larger family gatherings we see relatives we may not have seen since last Christmas, the latest newborns, and the children in the family a year taller and more mature. We often get to meet the newest girl/boy friends and sometimes recognize that this will probably be the last Christmas for the elderly grandma/grandpa.
So I think it is safe to say that “who’s coming for Christmas?” is of keen interest for all of us who celebrate the season.
Might I encourage you to add someone to your hoped-for guest list?
It used to be that I would suggest you think of what it would be like if the Queen was coming to your house for Christmas. But our beloved Queen Elizabeth is gone, and it seems to me having King Charles III come doesn’t have the same appeal. So let me put it this way: who is one of your favourite public figures in the world: the Pope? Shohei Ohtani? Justin Trudeau? Taylor Swift? Elon Misk?
Imagine your “fav” is coming for Christmas. You would probably feel pretty excited. You’d probably do all kinds of special, extra preparations, decorations and food to make them feel welcome and appreciated. You’d probably make sure you and the family have some nice clothes to wear and that everyone is on their best behaviour.
But you would also do all you could to create a space where there could be a relaxed, genuine, warm even affectionate time of visiting and sharing that would help you get to know each other.
I am a pastor so you know where I’m going with this: have you ever thought of inviting Jesus to your Christmas? In the Christian world these weeks before Christmas are known as “Advent,” reminding us of the advent or coming of Jesus to the world way back in about 4 BC. In Advent Christians prepare to celebrate Jesus’ original birth. But each Christmas we also prepare our lives to make room for Jesus to come more meaningfully into our hearts, minds and souls so that we might know God more deeply and embody more fully His love and care for the world around us.
At the heart of Christian faith is the assertion that God so loved the world (us!), and so wanted the world to know Him and His love for us, that He sent His Son Jesus to tell us. Not everyone believes this, but is their anyone who doesn’t wish that it were true? That the Creator of all that is indeed is like a loving parent who considers us His beloved children and dearly wants us to know Him and His love for us?
That the seemingly mythological story of Mary giving birth to the Son of God among the animals with angels announcing this to lowly shepherds who came running to see the miracle, is actually true? That this baby grew up to tell us that He and the Father would always love and be with us, especially in the hard places of life, and in the end They would welcome us to live with Them in eternity?
Even reading this you probably recognize that at least a little part of you already knows and believes this good news. Christmas is the ideal time to ponder these truths more deeply. Unlike some Christmas guests who come whether invited or not, Jesus will never impose Himself or come uninvited. Yet the Bible says He is always standing at the door of our life offering to come if we invite Him in.
At Christmas more than any other time of year we have a mystical sense that there is more to life than satisfying our physical appetites and going about our daily routines. The reality of the deeper spiritual dimension of life seems more real and accessible. No wonder there are so many Christmas stories, movies and songs that evoke the deeper longings of our souls.
So there is no better time of year to open your heart, mind and soul to new spiritual knowing. Imagine that this Christmas you will be entertaining a new visitor – Jesus – who for sure is more eager to come to your place than any of the high profile celebrities you thought of above. And who’s coming will have a much more profound influence on your life than could the visit of any of them.
Another name for Jesus is “Immanuel” which means “God with us”. It is entirely within your grasp to touch and be touched by the being who created you and the rest of the universe.
Invite Jesus Immanuel to your Christmas, make room and time for Him to come, and you will find the deepest yearnings of your heart and the greatest sorrows of your living begin to be healed by the very personal presence and love of “God with you.”
