Today we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus, and how his lessons of love shine bright through the ages. All over the world, different peoples and cultures join together to remember the birth of this bright light in the midst of darkness. 

Our story starts out with homeless travellers, forced by colonisers and imperialists to return to a town that was no longer home. For them, this meant a winter’s nights spent in a stable.

No central heating (possibly no heating at all). No electricity or running water. Instead, they put up with straw beds, the smell of dung and moisture, and possibly leaks in the roof and a cold wind chill.

It was only slightly better than staying outdoors. 

We’re told that Mary gave birth in these conditions. Forget

• the midwife, doctor or antibiotics
• warm water and clean towels
• another pair of hands to help Joseph clean up the baby after it was born
• close family and friends to help out and bring a caserole. 

Instead, it is a very humble birth, as you might find in an indigenous village of the third world, yet devoid the community support. 

This is the birth that we celebrate at Christmas. 

A birth of humility, yet full of a mother’s love and the faith of strangers. 

A birth that changed the world, how we see God, and even how we interact with God. 

From these humble beginnings, we find ourselves two thousand years later here in this Church remembering the meaning of Christmas.

The Radiance of Faith

In Luke we read that following the birth of Jesus, an angel appeared to shepherds, watching their sheep in the fields around Bethlehem.

Perhaps you would be more acquainted with cowboys than shepherds, unless you live in the outback of Australia, the highlands of Scotland or various parts of the Middle East.

But most of us know that these shepherds were likely in worse conditions than Mary and Joseph who were in the stable. They were likely under the stars, without a roof or tent over their heads. Exposed to the elements in the middle of winter.

And it’s to these people that the angel appears with the good news of the birth of the Messiah.

The angel didn’t appear to the priests and pharisees.  He didn’t go to the palace and announce the birth to the king or to Pontius Pilate as the representative of Rome in Judea.

Instead, the good news was shared with lowly shepherds.

In what was undoubtedly a terrifying way. Great light and fanfare on a quiet night in the mountains.

Scared much? 

And yet, what was the response of the shepherds after overcoming their fear?

Rejoicing!

More importantly: they responded with action.

They left their flocks and went straight to visit Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Without waiting. 

This is their example to us of the radiance of faith.

Hearing. Believing. Taking action based on that faith and belief.

So, for each of us today, let’s take a moment to reflect on our faith in action.

How do we live a life of faith?

Titus tells us

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly,

Titus 2: 11-12

The grace of God appears

It all starts with Divine grace. Not because we deserve it or have worked for it. Simple a Divine gift from above.

We are merely asked to accept it.

Because we have accepted this Divine Love, we can begin to change our habits and way of being.

Training us

Titus then goes on to say that this grace of God, this salvation, trains us. The grace is instantaneous.

But our transformation is something that we work on.

We are trained in this, day by day.

What we renounce or quit

We start by choosing to renounce those habits and ways of living that leave us in the darkness. Titus calls these worldly passions. 

Walking in the light of love is a choice. A choice we make daily.

And the principal part of that choice is to quit those practices, attitudes and ways of living that keep us chained.

This is different for each person. Perhaps it’s gluttony or being lazy. For others, it is a shopping addiction or smoking. And yet, for another, it might be bitterness and hate.

We start by choosing to let go, renounce and quit.

The new habits we adopt

Then, we open our time, energy and focus up to the opportunity to adopt new habits and ways of being.

Titus says that in the present age – at this moment – we choose to live lives of self-control. Creating a new habit requires discipline, attention and focus.

It’s more than just making a New Year’s resolution to do things differently. For many of us, it’s noticing our hidden triggers and what stimulates the old habits.

For example: gluttony is often about avoidance of emotions. But we get stuck on thinking that gluttony is about the food. There is nothing wrong with the food. What we need to look at is our relationship with food. When we use food to cover up and avoid, we end up eating more than we need because we don’t want to feel emotionally uncomfortable. It’s easier to feel physically uncomfortable.

So, when we start to notice our triggers and what stimulates the old, then we can adopt the new.

Coming back to our example of gluttony: if I am avoiding my emotions, when I accept God’s love and grace in my life, then I can start to love myself. At this moment, I interrupt the old habit of over-eating and instead sit with the emotions and feelings that had me uncomfortable.

With this love and grace that shone down from me from above, I practice loving and accepting myself, rather than avoiding my feelings by eating them. 

Let your love shine bright

Once I have mastered this, even in one area of my life, it’s possible to let that love shine bright in many other areas of my life.

Other habits are easier to break and new habits become easier to make.

As I change – emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually – others can see the change in me.

But it all starts because of a message I received of Divine Love – acceptance of Divine Grace – that allows me to then go out, like the shepherds at Christmas, and share with others about this miracle of transformation.

How will you choose, this Christmas, to let your love shine bright in your neighbourhood and community?