Merry Christmas to all,
This is not always a happy time of year for everyone, some of us may have lost loved ones or experienced family break downs. The news is seldom happy and mankind seems to always be at war. The world is broken and messy.
Jesus was born into a world in turmoil - occupation by foreign forces , a narcissistic king ruling the people and poverty, fear and hopelessness was common place. Jesus knows what pain is like, Mary and Joseph knew what gossip felt like, the shepherds understood the struggle to survive and the wise men knew how difficult it was to wait patiently for God’s leading.
Into this broken messy world came Jesus, Emmanuel “God with us”. God entered our pain, he lived it and he experienced it. He knows our struggles and pain and hurt. Our God is not some distant engineer tinkering with his machine. He is Emmanuel! “God is with us” and wants to guide us in our daily lives.
I pray that no matter the situation you find yourself in this Christmas, that you find a way to experience “Emmanuel” God with us, the God of hope, joy, love and of restoration (peace).
God is restoring this broken up world one person at a time.
May the God of Peace and Restoration bless you this Christmas.
Pastor Markus Schmid
