What Is Your Christmas Wish?

What Is Your Christmas Wish?

Luke 2:9-17 "And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen [it], they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child."

Christmas is always a very exciting time of the year. Even though the weather is hot and much of the traditional symbolism of Christmas in Australia relates to colder climes, there is still a real sense of Christmas in the air. Even the songs played in shopping centers such as White Chrismas, Sleigh Bells Ring, Chestnut Roasting, and Rudolph, give those born in the Northern Hemisphere that certain feeling. Just yesterday I stood for a moment and watched some little ones waiting to sit on Santa’s knee and it was clear that the so-called magic of Christmas is still there. They could not wait to tell Santa their Christmas wishes - and that one special wish above all others.

If you asked the anxious shoppers rushing too and fro if they could have just one wish this Christmas what would that wish be? I’m sure the answers would reflect the primary concerns they have in their lives just now. Some who have financial problems, real or imagined, and financial "needs" might wish to win the lottery.

I stepped into a news agent to buy a paper yesterday and had to wait an inordinate amount of time while people were purchasing lottery tickets. It seemed as if they had lottery gift certificates. People were obviously hoping to win or to have their husband, wife or friend win and share the winnings with them. I could not help but notice some worried and harried looks upon a lot of faces.

If you could ask all those anxious shoppers hectically hurrying from shop to shop, "If you had just one special Christmas wish, what would that wish be?" Some might wish for a job or a different job or a promotion. Others might wish for a relationship that has or is falling apart to be restored. It is said that those who have recently seperated or divorced have a particularly tough time at Christmas. Statistics say suicide rates always rise during this season.

Some might wish simply to have a son or daughter rescued from drugs or some other awful situation. Others might wish to be home for Christmas. I am sure those serving in harms way might merely wish to make it home to loved ones safe and sound, when their duty has been fulfilled. We can prayerfully join with them in that wish.

If you could wish for just one thing, what would your Christmas wish be?

Would you wish for real peace on earth this Christmas? Our world teeter totters on the very brink of utter and irrevocable disaster. The terror alert is relatively high in America and all around the world. Those of you born in Great Britain would have perhaps heard that just yesterday there was a serious warning of a possible terrorist strike there during this holiday season. Such ominous warnings continue to be issued in a number of places around the world. I am sure the relatives and friends of those innocent Australians brutally butchered in Bali are especially apprehensive during this season.

So we all should be. There is a nation of some eighty million people led by a mad man. He has pledged again and again to utterly destroy the nation of Israel as well as other nations in the West when he achieves the nuclear capacity to do so. When we think of the implications of this threat, the prospect of meaningful peace in our time seems increasingly slight.

Could such a disaster happen? God forbid! But it seems many leaders of nations are coming to understand the threat the world faces. It is clear we are fighting for survival of civilization as we have known it. At no time in recent history has the saying, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance," been more apt.