A thought for Christmas

It's the time of year where we are all rushing around the shops, trying to get the last bits done. We venture out reluctantly into the hustle and bustle of the high street. Occasionally we will stop and admire the beautiful lights, the window displays, the chill in the air as we shop. Sometimes we will stand in awe at the artificial beauty in the world around us, often forgetting about the love and care that was put into making them. Take Grafton Street, for example, the beauty of the lights did not just appear over night, the display in the window of Brown Thomas didn't just spontaneously assemble; as you walk over the bridge, the sight of O'Connell Street you're greeted with didn't just spring up out of nowhere. People put these things together, the concepts, the designs, the nuts and bolts were made by people, with pride, love and care. While we can compare natural and artificial beauty we need to give credit where it's due. Although it was man made, God did create the people who made it. 

I bring this point up, because this time of year, it is very easy to get wrapped up in our own bubble. Worship the way we think is right, look at others being caught up in the material aspects of the Yule tide and those who we feel might not be doing enough. My thought for Christmas is, how can we make ourselves as welcoming to others as we can? A kind word, a smile, letting someone know you’re there, simple things, but at this time of Christmas when love and the message of true undivided love is the core message, it is important that we not only celebrate this with our family and show Chrostian charity to those in need, but also take this time to be patient, to build on our Faith from the outside in. To consciously make the decision to be more welcoming, less judgemental and come to know people at their own level. In the same way we don't expect fish to climb trees nor dogs to live under water, we should not expect someone with opposing views to us, to miraculously change their minds because we think they should. Think of them as people, think of the lights display in your local village, what you see is the end product of a lot of hard work, and in the case of humans, the hard work was done by God and the love he poured into them deserves love and respect from us in as much a way as you do from them.