The birth of Jesus is a celebration both of fragility and strength—both God’s and ours. By entering into the human condition God takes on the fragility of our human nature, as seen in the newborn baby. As that baby grows and matures, we see the strength of God’s Spirit with him. By becoming human, God blesses our human frailty with a loving presence and gives us the strength we need to be faithful to our call.
Our world today in so many ways is in darkness. Christ is our light. Our world is broken. Christ is our healing. The world has lost its way. Christ is our roadmap.
Certainly, we desire a world that is better than what it is. The birth of Jesus gives us hope that in the midst of darkness and hardship, God can bring peace and hope for a more grace-filled life, as the Spirit of Jesus urges us forward to carry God’s love and care for all creation.
It’s this hope in God’s presence with us that can help us avoid becoming cynical about prospects for positive change. It’s also this hope that can compel us to act for positive change, to be partners in God’s plan for creation, God’s hopes for creation, in whatever way we can.
“But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
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