ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

Christmas trees ablaze with colour appear in almost every window. They bring little warmth if you only look in from outside all the time. Some are able to come inside. At Christmas many away from home return to their families, whilst others with a sense of nostalgia return to something with special memories for them – perhaps carols, or midnight services. Some have nowhere to go.

Christmas makes a statement about belonging that passes beyond nostalgia, and even beyond carols or family parties, because Christmas tells us of God wanting us to belong. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem tells of God’s way of making a difference, making this world a place where we can know “God with us”. In a society where many people feel on the outside and cut off from others, Christmas is a time to help each other to belong.

Some people feel they are strangers, foreigners, and outsiders, and are often made to feel this very acutely. The Christmas message about God being involved with us has at its heart an invitation to each, an invitation that is enjoyed most when it is shared. Can we each make this Christmas different for those who feel on the outside looking in?