| Dec 15, 2005


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December 15, 2005

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Whose Christmas is it anyway?by Reverend Art Turnbull

Cash registers tingle. Crowds of shoppers mingle. Families rushto assemble gifts. Friends arrange to give others a lift. "It was the day before Christmas when all through..."

The time of year that is now upon us is a time of celebration and sharing. It is a festive season that so many rush to enjoy. The last days of the year are looked forward to by thousands seeking a holiday. Many have earned this break, having worked madly all year to make ends meet. It is good for folk to get together and enjoy each other’s company. There is nothing out of place in taking the family toa resort location for skiing,or the choice of others is to go to the sunshine and beaches of the south.

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This is the season that humans have created. Shaped by marketing music that bids people shop until they drop, a frenzy is added to these days. Beginning in October a steady build up has been developing for people to expect a grand finale. When the time comes it is no wonder that all that is expected is not achieved. The bubble sometimes bursts. Do not fret. The two weeks of "Boxing Day" sales offer a cure for those who are let down. We humans are good at creating our own difficulties.

Whose Christmas is it anyway?

We humans need to realize that God is already in our space. The tingle of the cash registers also announces the presence of God. The mingling crowds are not strangers to the Almighty. Families exchanging gifts are also receivers of the gift of the Son of God, the Messiah. Reaching out a helping hand to give a lift to a stranger is responding to God's desire for us to have compassion. A need or a cause is a response to the love of Jesus.

This is God's Christmas season. In the wonder of the days that are now upon us, do take time to be touched by the mystery of a child born in a manger. Take time out to attend a Christian church service so that you can hear the story, our human story, of God's Incarnation. God is with us.

God's blessing be with you this Christmas.

(The Reverend Art Turnbull is Priest-in-Charge at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Sydenham)

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