There is an old saying “People know the price of everything, but the value of nothing” – I think we could change that saying as we approach Christmas 2011 to “People know the price of everything, and the value of what they used to be able to afford”, writes Dean Arfon Williams.
In a New Year message in The Sligo Champion, Dean Williams continues: There is no doubt that most of us look back at past Christmases when many had more money to spend on luxury items, and the word merry in Christmas meant an over indulgence in seasonal fayre.
Now, however, many in our community have had to tighten belts because of unemployment or loss of earnings, those who borrowed heavily in the good times are now having to pay much more on a monthly basis and the threat of having to borrow more! The constant pressure on us to buy in TV ads and children see things that parents cannot any longer afford makes us depressed and unhappy.
There are others of course whose Christmases have always been sparse and have always had to be prudent, while still others have very little or nothing to be cheerful about and wish Christmas could just be by-passed.
In a small town, under civil and economic oppression a young girl gave birth. Soon afterwards she, her partner and new born son had to flee from their country of birth to a place where they could find safety and peace of mind. They felt unwanted, second class citizens, working at what they could to earn a little to keep body and soul together and longing for the day they could go home to family and friends. Added to this there was the complication and pressure that the child born to this young girl was someone special, his conception had been special, after his birth shepherds told of celestial visitations and those who came to bring good wishes gave her lavish gifts that were strange and mysterious, they themselves were rumoured to be of royal and mystical decent. So in the midst of their trials, pressures, poverty, alienation they knew that God had somehow come to them in a special way and marked them for a blessing that would be shared by all humanity for all time!
This same God, given the invitation, will bless us by the birth of that child, the obedience of Mary and the care of Joseph; He is Emmanuel – God with us!
What was valuable was also vulnerable, what was glorious came quietly and remained unseen for a long time apart from those who could see what God was doing, and blessed him for it.
May we experience as families and community this economically hard Christmas the value of allowing Jesus into our homes and situation and in allowing him in experience the love and care that God has for us.
May God bless us with his love and grace this Christmas and into 2012