Blessed Christmas

It's great to be in London after 12 days in the countryside. The city-dweller in me was starting to resurface. There was yearning for a shower with strong water pressure and reliable wifi signals. And the Singaporean in us needed to satisfy the craving for dim sum, fried rice and noodle soup. So first things first, we had dinner at Bo Fa Garden in County Hall. It was my first meal of fish without beer batter and chips. They gave us white rice in a mini-barrel, and we finished it. So we finished a whole barrel of rice literally speaking.

London is noticeably preparing for the arrival of Christmas. Last minute shoppers, many people with hand luggages at the train stations, notices at various retail stores reminding customers of shorter operating hours and closure during the public holidays. Many of the museums were closed today. Bracing ourselves for a shut down in London over the next two days, we stocked up on bottled drinking water and fresh milk for the younger kids. I am thankful to the helpful staff at the Marriott for reassuring us that we will be well taken care of.  Being away from home for Christmas is clearly making me melodramatic. 

Tonight is Christmas Eve and I am reminded of Mary and Josephs journey from their hometown to Bethlehem. Arriving there after a long trip, there was no more room, never mind bottled drinking water or milk. And the baby, when he arrived, was placed in a manger. Almost all Nativity scenes depict a place filled with fluffy dry odourless hay surrounding the manger. Our recently farmstay in Devon suggests that that is probably the furthest from the truth. I am reminded of how God was so determined to dwell amongst us that He would settle for a manger.

This evening, I attended the Christmas Eve evening service at St Margaret's Church at Westminster Abbey. The pastor delivering the sermon spoke about the different forms of darkness that we encounter in our lives - whether it is the terrorism or humanitarian disasters around the world, or dealing with illness or facing broken relationships. And she reminded the congregation of the great light that has come into the world. This light, which is the glory of God, overcomes all darkness no matter how the circumstances appears to us. I thank you Jesus for coming to dwell amongst us, despite all the inconveniences and much more. "Born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth. Born to give them second birth"

A blessed Christmas to you and your family. May God's presence dwell with you.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

~ John 1:9-14