Merry Christmas, everyone!

It feels like the day, although marked on many calendars, has come by surprisingly fast, hasn’t it? Minus all the obvious things that make the season special, I always find its uniqueness amplified by the quiet. Especially in a massive city like London, because public transport comes to a standstill many places become eerily silent, as people resort to sticking behind closed doors. I say quiet, but perhaps peace is a more accurate word. It’s a positive quiet. One that stills the heart and eases the mind – even if unusual and strange to the ears at first.

This Christmas as I read about the origin of the season in the New Testament, I take my mind back to the nativity scene. We see lots of artists’ renditions of this popular scene, who have themselves throughout time tried to recapture the magic. And although many are beautiful in nature, glorious even, they probably still fail to capture the magnitude of every bit of magic present at that moment.

Luke 2:19: But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart (ESV).

Imagine, the stable is dark is slightly smelly with farm animals groaning in the background, probably slightly confused at these strangers they’re being forced to share their territory with. Spots of moonlight shine through and work together with the odd lantern to create a close-to-home atmosphere for Mary and Joseph. Amid all the slight chaos, Mary looks longingly at Jesus with so much love and awe. He coos gently, simmering down after intense crying and the music of his voice is likely strong incense filling the room, even captivating the animals who are observing from a distance.

I love the verse above about Mary from the book of Luke which has stood out to me in the last week. I’ve seen a glimpse of someone I know looking at her firstborn as she was rocking her in a pram and if pure love could be freezeframed, that would be it. Similarly, Mary is tired and likely in pain but trying desperately to savour every moment of that night since she knows it’s the start of something life-changing – not just for her, but as she’s been told by an angel, for the whole of humanity. Her heart is full of joy, vibrating at the seams – unsure of what will happen next but also excited to see future events unfold.

Praying that your day is full of joy and happiness, wherever you are this Christmas! 😊

*Photo by Árni Svanur Daníelsson on Unsplash