Bah Humbug!

Bah humbug! That phrase has been immortalised by Charles Dickens novel   “A Christmas Carol”. Scrooge, whose name we associate with meanness, can scarcely allow his clerk to have Christmas as a holiday! Christmas is a nuisance and irritation to Scrooge. He takes no pleasure in the festivities that interrupt the opportunity to make more money.

Of course, for most who read this article, the issue will not be a meanness of spirit. You will spend generously on gifts for relatives and friends, and respond kindly in giving to good causes.

Nonetheless “Bah humbug” captures the attitude of “I can’t be bothered with all this fuss about Christmas”. This catch phrase of Ebenezer Scrooge has also been used to express disgust at some of the traditions of Christmas.

Some of you however, will be struggling to come to terms with sad and difficult circumstances you have faced during the year. You may wish the festivities could somehow pass you by. Perhaps you feel you cannot face even thinking about Christmas?

For hundreds of years people around the world have considered Christmas to be the right time to focus on the birth of one Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was actually the Lord from Heaven become flesh, a human being!

In the gospel as recorded by Luke, himself a doctor, and a meticulous historian, we read some of the events known as the nativity.

Perhaps most significant is the account of what the Angel of The Lord said of Jesus to a few shepherds. The baby born is the Saviour for sinners – wrong doers, atheists, agnostics, rebels against God – it is good news! The angel spoke of joy and peace.

The baby grew into manhood. The man Jesus, truly God become human, then died on the cross to take the punishment we deserve for all that offends The God who gave us life and life’s rules.

If joy, true joy, is knowing forgiveness for our sins through Jesus, and if peace, true peace is knowing our relationship with God is right, then let us gladly receive the Saviour, Jesus.

If not…..then all is hopeless…life has no purpose….eternal life is pie in the sky…….

But he did come, he said “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full”.

May you know that Joy and peace this Christmas.