25 Days 2 Christmas - Share

"After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished," Luke 2:17-18

The Christmas story is to be shared. It is a story that touches us personally but it is never meant to be a private affair.

How do we share, like the shepherds, the story of Jesus' birth in a culture that is growing increasingly skeptical?

Rico Tice, author of Honest Evangelism, makes this observation about his context in the UK: As London has become an increasingly secular city, I have come across three basic attitudes related to faith in Christ: Christians are weird, Christianity is untrue, and Christianity is irrelevant. Now, increasingly, I am also seeing a fourth attitude: Christianity is intolerant.

But even with this skepticism people are still searching. Rico Tice makes this point: "But all this is only half of the story.There is also increased hunger in our culture, and this may be heightened around the Christmas season. 

That means there is a two-sided approach as we share our hope about Christmas. We know that we will encounter anything from polite indifference to hostile skepticism. The gospel story of Christmas is a hard one to hear because it challenges and provokes all of our assumptions and attitudes.

But we will also encounter a spiritual hunger from people who want something more from life. The story of God drawing near to them offers meaning, grace and hope. 

Just like the shepherds of old we will continue doing what the church has done throughout the ages - sharing through word and deed the story about this Child.

Prayer: Lord give me a heart and the courage to be a light that leads others to the Christ Child.

Gift to others: In your conversations see where you can make a connection to the Christmas story.