By the Rev Steve Morgan, St Martin’s Church, Liskeard
I’d do Christmas every day if I could. Give me a sausage roll and a cheesy Christmas song (Slade!) and I’d be happy all day. You’d probably expect a vicar to get all religious about Christmas - what with God coming to Earth as a small child bringing the good news of salvation to everyone and all that. That’s the heart of it of course, but what makes Christmas so meaningful for me is the stable. If you were God and could choose to be born wherever you liked, wouldn’t you choose Monaco or some lovely Greek Island? Why a stable? We used to keep pigs so I know how smelly an animal house is.
I think God chose to be born in a stable so he could connect with ordinary people. I sometimes look back on my life and cringe at the mistakes I’ve made. I guess we all do that sometimes. Knowing that Jesus was born in a messy stable gives me hope that the God of the universe understands where I come from and what makes me tick. God really did come down to Earth - in every sense of the word. Our God, who has the power to create stars with just a word, loved me - and you - enough to be born in a cattle shed. I can be confident when I pray that God doesn’t just hear me, he understands me too. The next time someone tells you off for not closing a door behind you and asks ‘were you born in a barn?’ you can reply, ‘no, but God was!’
I wish you every blessing this Christmas and pray that you will meet with Jesus over the coming weeks - the child of love who was born in a barn.