Given By Rev. Madison Shockley December 24, 2018

On this Christmas Eve, we contemplate Jesus’s birth. The child born to Mary shall be holy. Those who believe in Jesus were given the power to be children of God. Each of us is a child of God. Our belief allows us to give birth to a brand new life. Our world needs us to be “pregnant” with this new life and bring it into the world. We need to lift up the light in this dark world. To shine God’s light on injustice, hatred, and exploitation.  Bring hope to those who despair, knowledge to the ignorant, and peace to those at war. We celebrate his birth because his life was special. We celebrate him by following him in the way that he lived. He went to the sick, the hungry, those ostracized by society, and those who disagreed with him. Everyone has equal value in the eyes of God. God’s love knows no boundaries or conditions, just our needs.  On this Christmas, these are the gifts we bring to the world.