Climb a high mountain, Zion. You are the preacher of good news. Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem. You are the preacher of good news! Speak loud and clear. Don’t be timid! Isaiah 40:9 from The Message
The Advent season is already upon us, and thankfully, we can begin to turn our hearts and minds toward this season of light and love. I love this time of the year for many reasons, but I especially enjoy the Christmas story because it never gets old. It is interesting to me how important stories are, not only, to the Christian, but also to history, family, and remembrances.
A story is a conversation which gives us a way to get to know others, to explain relationships, and to find a connection with others. As Lewis Grizzard always said, “How’s your Mama and them?” In other words, tell me about them. Stories give a context to our lives and help us make it through the days.
You can tell a lot about a person from their conversation. If that person answers Yes or No to questions asked them with no elaboration, then obviously they are not interested in hearing or discussing any stories that others might relate or entering into conversation. If they eagerly add to the conversation. a world of stories and information can happen among people. During this time 2000+ years ago, there were those who didn’t want to hear the story of a babe that was to be born in a manger, but there were those who believed and wanted to hear more!
The world today is trying to say that the birth of Jesus, the cross, the Resurrection, and the Kingdom of God doesn’t matter. They are also interested in telling us that there is no right or wrong in this world today. People can do whatever makes them happy, and we will all go along and get along. They don’t seem to be interested in the stories that the Christian world is eager to tell.
Stories of Jesus are needed more than ever in this world of today. The world needs to hear that a Savior was born, lived, died, and rose from the grave. We need to hear that He was born for all of us no matter our station in life. It is through these stories that Jesus knits the the Kingdom of God together for us.
There is nothing like a pandemic to let us know that the stories we would like to tell or thought we would be telling this time last year will probably be different than what we had planned. It reminds us once again, that when we make plans, God laughs. He is in control.
During this time of year, our hearts just seem to turn to memories of family, friends, and loved ones who aren’t with us. There is nothing so dear as family members gathered together to relate stories of a loved one. It’s how we keep their sweet memory alive.
God sent His son to restore order out of the chaos of our lives, make sense out of the senseless, and connect the dots to piece things together. Not all of the stories in the Bible are easy to understand and some can be labeled as strange, but together they intertwine to tell God’s bigger story.
The story of Jesus is a beautiful story of love that came down to provide redemption for the people God dearly loves. They show His glory, reveal His character, and proclaim the truth that leads us to Him.
As we prepare our hearts to receive Him this season, remember to tell the stories of His love! So many in our world today need to hear them!