As I said in my last post, Christmas is being a very special time this year.

Two thoughts of my day with regard to Christmas:
If you put a picture of a baby on your fridge (all year) and the words "This is your God" with it - how would it change the way you followed Jesus ... mmm ... interesting - not sure really but it helped me reflect on the place of this part of the story in my relationship with God and in my life.

The other thing I've been thinking about is the aloneness that Jesus must have felt - and actually chose in coming to earth. As The Message says: he became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood" - that was a choice! He chose to move into a neighbourhood that didn't receive Him and certainly didn't welcome Him throughout his life ... a neighbourhood where he was shoved into the stable! Whatever he knew at various points of his deity/humanity he certainly must have felt different and must have been profoundly aware of the ways in which he was alone - even when surrounded by people and even when people loved him dearly. Aloneness was something he would have known well - and still does I reckon.