Because of the generosity of some very special people, Mary and I were able to spend ten days on Lord Howe Island. Lord Howe Island is a majestic place and a gentle place. It is kind to writers.
Whilst I was there, I came across the Mutton Bird. Now, here’s the mystery. The adult Mutton Birds lay their eggs and raise the chicks until they can look after themselves. The adults then fly off to Japan. The chicks fly off some time later when they are stronger. And without any parent to follow, they too fly to Japan.
You’ve got to be amazed, haven’t you? How do they do it? Is the information in the DNA?
When I was at university studying biology, it was thought that some information might be contained within the cytoplasm of a living cell. Goodness knows what theories exist today. But one thing is for certain; there are a lot of mysteries in our remarkable world.
But we don’t invent God to explain mystery. That is to constrain God into a being we invent to fill in the gaps of our knowledge… a gap which contracts when we learn more about science. So, no. Rather, we know about God because he chose to reveal himself to us.
The biggest mystery that has exercised the mind of humanity is whether the cosmos is the result of a monstrous fluke working on eternally existing particles; or whether the cosmos shows signs of design. In other words: does God exist, or not?
It was a mystery… and it remained a mystery until God came to town.
When Jesus came to Earth that first Christmas, we saw God in human form… and God was no longer a mystery. God was “with us”, which is what the word “Emmanuel” literally means. He came to share our life of pain, and to pay the price for our sins that would otherwise separate us from God. And in doing so, he gave us a hope that lay beyond pain and beyond death.
“Cancel culture” has, sadly, become endemic in our society. It is one of the nasty results of us letting our Christian culture fall to the ground. So here’s my challenge to you: Don’t cancel Christ this Christmas. If you do, what’s left to celebrate? A happy holiday? Are you really content to disempower Christmas so much, that all it means is a pause from routine work and an excuse to overindulge?
That, I submit, sounds pathetic when held against the love story of the Galilean.
So, I invite you to rejoice in God’s love and lordship this Christmas. Why? Because God has no desire to cancel you.
