Rev Rosie writes December 2023

Rev Rosie Bunn
Rector of All Saints Church, Belton
and
St Peter & St Paul Church, Burgh Castle

I wonder what you would want to have for Christmas, if you could have anything?

Some of you will wish for better health; others for a loved one returned to you; still others a new car or a home of your own. If you have children or grandchildren you may already know what they want for Christmas as they will not have been shy about coming forward to tell you, especially now that the Christmas adverts are in full swing
 
I wonder what would have been in the minds of Mary and Joseph, on that first Christmas morning? But of course, they wouldn’t have thought about getting any Christmas gift as Jesus was their Christmas gift – the Christ who began all celebrations of Christmas
 
If Mary and Joseph were asking for anything it would have been the safe arrival of their baby, and a secure place in which Mary could give birth. Their concerns would have been whether they made it to Bethlehem in time – but God would have had that under control as his Old Testament Prophets had already told the Hebrew nation that in the Book of Micah
 
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” Micah 5:2
 
Jesus was born at a time when the Romans were ruling over what is now Israel and Palestine; many of us will be familiar with the words “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world”. which comes at the beginning of the account of Jesus’ birth in Luke’s gospel. Life really wasn’t easy for the ordinary people of that time and place, and I sometimes wonder what Joseph and Mary’s reaction might have been to the census decree. I’m sure they wouldn’t have welcomed it when it involved a journey of around 100 miles at that later stage of Mary’s pregnancy. But they didn’t have a choice so they undertook the journey
 
On that first Christmas morning, Mary and Joseph had visitors they had not expected or invited. Imagine having just had a baby and a load of shepherds turn up with a sheep or two.... But their invitation had been received from God’s own messengers – the Angel and the Angel choir; a heavenly Father who was pleased to announce the birth of His son. And we read in the Bible that Mary pondered on that experience – treasured memories for a new mum, perhaps
 
Later, after the arrival of the Magi, the wise men, Mary and Joseph up-sticks and run to Egypt, having been warned by a dream that King Herod was out to kill the baby Jesus
 
When you think about Jesus, do you remember that he was born in a place that wasn’t home and became a refugee quite soon afterwards, perhaps settling with Jewish settlers in that area. Seeing all that we have seen on the television recently about the Rapha Crossing out of Gaza, made me think again of their escape to Egypt. For Mary and Joseph it might not have been so controlled or crowded, but crossing the border into Egypt must have brought them some anxiety. For the people being allowed out of Gaza today it brings with it real concern for family left behind and the same concern as Mary and Joseph – what are we going to do now?
 
So as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, perhaps we might spare some thoughts for those caught up in the current conflict. They may not know much about who Jesus is, but he will know who they are
 
So what would I ask for this Christmas? That there would be found a way to resolve the conflicts between Israel and Palestine and Russia and the Ukraine...and that my son and his family might get home from Malawi in time for Christmas
Rev Rosie Bunn