How Can They Believe in the Christ Child?
Letters to a State, Volume 3, No. 12
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19, English Standard Version
A few years ago when my grandson, Rory, was approaching the age where he began to have doubts about the reality of Santa Claus something happened that postponed for another year his awakening to the truth about jolly old Saint Nick.
It happened like this…
First, Sonja and I (better known as Nana & Papa) had arrived bringing a Nana & Papa quantity of gifts some of which remained hidden in the car trunk. Additionally, my daughter and son-in-law had “Santa’s gifts” hidden waiting for Christmas morning.
So Christmas Eve arrives and Rory goes to bed looking one last time at the generous pile of presents under the Christmas tree eagerly anticipating opening them the next morning.
However, the adults in the room were not quite finished. Out comes “Santa’s gifts” and the rest of the grandparent gifts that had been hidden in the trunk. Soon, what had been a generous number of presents waiting under the tree turned into a prodigious mountain of presents.
Christmas Day arrives.
The adults are in place: cameras are ready to capture the moment and in walks the grandchildren, bright-eyed with anticipation.
Seeing the drastic increase in the number of presents under the tree, Rory declared, “I do believe in Santa Claus!”
His mother asked, “Why do you believe in Santa Claus?”
He replied, “Because you couldn’t afford all those presents!”
Generosity convinced Rory that the impossible was possible.
Be over-the-top in celebrating Jesus’s birth this year. Be prodigiously generous in declaring and celebrating the Christmas story; declare it loudly, lovingly, even brazenly. Make it a big, big deal.
More importantly, testify to the amazing difference God’s greatest gift to mankind has made in your life. Shout, sing, share it from the rooftop!
Make it so obvious that what is going on in your church and in your life is beyond you. Let your family, friends and neighbors know that there is no way you could afford the extravagant measure of joy, peace, hope, and love that you are experiencing. Blame it all on Jesus! Brag joyfully and intentionally about the prodigious generosity of Father God in sending his son: Jesus Christ – born of a virgin – who lived sinlessly, died and rose victoriously so we can have life and have it more abundantly.
Pastors and parishioners of Illinois Church of God, go big this year for Christmas. Help people believe. Give them hope. Shine the light as brightly as you can.
Merry Christmas to you all, with deep love and affection from Sonja and me,
David L. Kemp
Administrative Bishop
