What Christmas means for us...

Every year most of us complain about how Christmas starts way too early in the shops, that adverts start to bombard us on the telly, and how Christmas is, once again, being hijacked by the world at large, and distracting from what we know to be the true meaning of this very special season.

At Oasis, we are also not immune from the commercial implications in needing to curate books and gifts in order to serve our customers, both in-store, at our church pop-ups, and online. Rather than simply echoing the call to remember the spiritual significance of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, perhaps we can all take some time in this busy period to personally reflect on what Christmas really means for us?  To reflect on the light and hope Jesus brings, the need to reflect His care for the sick, hungry and downtrodden; to seek, and to offer, forgiveness.

What can we all do to better to honour and serve the Lord our God, as Jesus asks us to?  How can we better love our neighbours?  While our lips honour Jesus, how can be make sure our hearts and actions truly follow these commandments?

The light that first shone from a lowly stable over two millennia ago, remains the light of salvation that we can all embrace today.  More than anything else, Christmas can remind us of the enduring promise of hope and forgiveness.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).