Dec 28, 2006
Just Another Day
I tried lowering my expectations this year for Christmas. Instead of seeking out a profound, life-changing religious experience, I tried to approach this holy day like any other.
For example, I usually pray at irregular times and just try to hear God. Whatever he wants to say, I try to be available to hear. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.
On Christmas I read my Bible as usual and prayed as usual, doing nothing too far from the ordinary and not expecting to have my life changed. And I heard something.
“Be a temple,” is what I heard. There God goes again using three words at a time. Apparently that’s all I can handle. But isn’t that an interesting message for Christmas?
In the grand picture of salvation history, God was essentially making the old temple system of Israel obsolete. The watershed moment was the arrival of his Son and the eventual imparting of the Holy Spirit.
Being a temple of the Lord carries many ramifications. There is a call to be holy, pure, and set apart. God is able to meet us at any time or place. And these wonderful circumstances are all made possible by the coming of Jesus.
And that’s about it for Christmas. We exchanged gifts, ate a lot, and watched football. I had some time to catch up with family. Not a bad time. Not a major life-changing event, but I don’t think it has to be. I think that was enough.
