Dr Stephen Fyson, part of our Pacific Hills Christian School community, shares an insightful look into the Christmas story.
“Christmas has so much loveliness within it. That includes the actual story – a tiny baby born in a manger to loving parents. More than that, there are angels singing, exotic visitors and promises from God delivered by His messengers.
Yet, part of that first Christmas carries a detail that would have been considered outrageous by any serious thinkers of the day. No promised king, leader, or deity would have been welcomed into the world in a “manger.” Why? Because that manger was a hovel – probably a muck-stained wooden trough or a carving in a rock face where animals were given some kind of shelter.
Can you imagine it? Can you see Joseph and Mary stopping at the entrance, seeing (and smelling) the mess, and wondering if this was the spot? But they accepted this as their lot, because God had sent messengers to them to trust Him. And they did.
What was outrageous 2000 years ago brought change to the world. A God who loves so much that He was prepared to humble Himself by being born in a smelly cave is a God who loves all people. In this baby, Jesus, there is no difference between us, if we see things as He sees them.
And that is why Pacific Hills Christian School has students and staff doing outrageous things at the end of this end and over the break. Instead of being comfortable, there are teams going to Cambodia, India and Vanuatu to share God’s love. That is not normal. That may seem strange.
But if Christmas reminds us of God’s outrageous love towards us, what might we do that shows outrageous love to someone this Christmas?”
