Pondering on this disturbing time of the year - Christmas

Welcome once again to this most disturbing time of year..... Single mums giving birth to kings?! God himself wearing nappies?! The creator of the universe living in a dusty ancient village with brothers and sisters?! It really is bizarre isn't it?I learned this year that Christmas' precursors are found in pagan celebrations to mark the passing of the half way point of the winter solstice. It was just sensible to have a joyful celebration at the most bitter and miserable time of the year. Besides that, the remainder of winter probably offered hunger, hardship and maybe starvation. It makes sense, even as pagans, to celebrate in the hope that the gods will be generous enough to offer an abundant spring!When Rome's Emperor Constantine decided the world would be Christian, the winter festival was converted too.As I ponder it, it makes good sense to see the abundance of God's love and salvation in the midst of winter’s dark night. Rather than “hope against hope“ pleading for provision, as the pagans did, the Christians saw a living, light-filled hope in the midst of darkness.The Christmas party made good sense.I concur with you Brits and Europeans who find the Christmas in summer anachronistic. It was designed to work in the bleakness of winter. It blazes light, expectation and hope into darkness.Christmas is a reality check. The writer of Proverbs tells us, "All man's ways are right to him".God says, "Get real! I will show you what 'right' looks like and it will be so far from what you think it looks like as to be unrecognisable" ... A virgin bearing a son to save through service....Get real!Tonight we will share with thousands our gift of Carols to the Cottesloe community. Each year, amongst the picnics, squabbling kids and Chardonnay I get about two minutes to honour Christ and not dishonour the event or the community.What would you say if you had two minutes to speak at the  carols of God's loony plan? I mean, "All man's ways are right to him" and very different to God's!For you to ponder.Malcolm