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A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Bishop Jo Bailey Wells

Good morning.

As Christmas approaches, we cook 鈥渇or鈥� friends coming to stay from far away, we labour to choose a present 鈥渇or鈥� that tricky family member, we offer charity 鈥渇or鈥� those who are homeless.

Lots of doing-for gestures are generous and noble. But I wonder, do they work? Does our hospitality bring that much-needed conversation to happen? Does the gift bridge the rift with my relative? Does the gesture of charity bring us closer to those in need?

I鈥檝e realised recently that 鈥渇or鈥� isn鈥檛 the preposition God chooses at Christmas. The angel says to Joseph, 鈥溾�楤ehold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,鈥� which means, 鈥楪od is with us.鈥欌�� At the start of John鈥檚 gospel we read: 鈥淭he Word became flesh and lived with us.鈥� I suggest the word that lies at the heart of Christmas and at the heart of the Christian faith is that word 鈥渨ith.鈥�

At Christmas, God doesn鈥檛 sort the world out, or shower us with blessings. We may wish God would - to make everything happy and surround us with perfect things. Rather, the good news of Christmas is that God celebrates by being 鈥渨ith鈥�, by becoming flesh in Jesus so that from that point on everything else in the world may be founded on a fundamental, unalterable, everlasting, and utterly unswerving God is with us, Emmanuel.

I invite you into a listening prayer today. Hear the words God speaks to us unambiguously:

I am 鈥榳ith鈥� you. Behold, my dwelling is among you. I鈥檝e moved into the neighbourhood. I will be with you always. My name is Emmanuel.

Amen.

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