The run up to Christmas feels very different this year. We are unable to do so many of the things that in previous years we have taken for granted. I know many people are feeling frustrated and sad. Others are feeling anxious and isolated. What doesn’t change, though, is the Christmas story, but perhaps it has a special relevance in this strangest of years. God entered the world he loves not in a palace but in a borrowed stable. He came not with power and status, but in humility and vulnerability. He came with a message of good news for all people, that is still good news today. God loves us and cares enough to act on our behalf. He longs for us to reach out to him and to be open to receive all he longs to give us. This Christmas may we all know afresh the presence and peace of the living God, and may 2021 be a year to remember for all the right reasons.
