Have you seen the star?

I must admit I normally look to the heavens more at Easter than at Christmas.

Noticing that the feast of Passover is associated with the Full Moon I usually thrill to see it brightly shining

Of course the Star of Bethlehem features prominently in the Christmas story.

It is a story about how God gets our attention.

When you stop and think about it, God is probably trying to attract our attention quite a lot.

Moses at the Burning Bush

various miraculous stories

and of course our own stories

of life

and death 

(I have had too much death this year)

What, we might ask, is God saying to me?

If Jesus was sitting next to me now

what would he be talking about,

what, indeed, do I want to talk to Jesus about?

Is it the sadness I feel about the course of my life?

Is it about the guilt I feel about the things I have done wrong? The people I have hurt, the poor choices I have made? 

What do we imagine Jesus might say?

Let’s not cheapen this by suggesting that he will just say “Well it doesn’t matter ...do what you like!”

Now that he has got my attention 

with a star, a burning bush, a crisis, an angel or what ever

what is God saying to me?

Almost certainly he will not be saying ...be MORE RELIGIOUS

and is probably saying FORGIVE and SEEK FORGIVENESS

He is definitely saying ...stop being so selfish and LOOK OUT FOR THE POOR

THE PERSECUTED, 

He is certainly saying 

“Look where the star is pointing!”

and the star is pointing to our own back door!

Can we find one thing this Christmas which enables us to simply be more loving!