Lost in the Hazy Holiday Maze

I have an idea I’d like to develop but I’ll need to ask you to use your imagination. So, hang with me; there is a point to this.

Imagine that there is life on other planets and that you are a human-type being that has traveled to earth unnoticed. You look like a normal, average human, easily blending in with the population. Of course, you are not from around here so you don’t really care. You observe.

When you look at the human race, what do you see? You observe the political maneuvering of nations. You see aggressive nations trying to gain a stronger footing among other nations. You see terrorism. You see conflicting definitions of freedom.

Remember, you are not from around here. So, you have no allegiance to the U.S. or to Spain or to Indonesia. What does it all mean/matter?

You continue on relatively unnoticed for a while...watching people as they scurry from one place to another, going to work, working after work, playing, being entertained, arguing, struggling, fighting, living, dying. Individuals are doing a lot of maneuvering too. To what end?

Let’s extend this imagination tour beyond days to years, even to centuries. What was happening in the place where you are ’right now’ one thousand years ago? (Trees???)

In your mind go to a population center. Imagine being able to observe people and nations for a millennium. You can see the struggles and triumphs. You observe the rise and fall of power, the shifting of wealth, enterprise and foolishness, the proud and the lowly.

You watch the seemingly unending cycle of life. The repetition was startling at first, but now you can identify patterns and can accurately anticipate the outcome of choices and actions.

A thousand years pass and you return to your home to report. What will you say about the people and the nations of the earth? 

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My purpose in this outlandish journey has been to challenge you to step away from your personal life and its desires and stresses and joys, and disconnect...to think about God.

Do you know why it makes sense that God identified Himself to Moses as, “I Am Who I Am”? He transcends place and time. God created place. God created time. He is the one who really can step back and comprehend all places in all time. For that reason we would do well to respond as Moses did when God revealed Himself: Moses bowed low and worshiped.

Yet, God can also look directly into your life at this place at this time. In fact, He does look, because He is interested in you. So, while He seems to be distant because of His divine nature, His love for you draws Him into your life.

God has seen it all. He has watched the endless parade of nations as well as the cyclical and tiresome ways of man. And at the right time God entered into His creation as a little baby. That little baby was Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. And He grew up, and He became the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He rules the nations and ultimately every knee will bow to Him.

He did not come to earth so that we could hustle and bustle, and exchange gifts, and have lots of food and football and fun and fellowship with friends and family. It doesn’t really matter how you celebrate Christmas or whether you celebrate Christmas if you get lost in the maze of holiday haze and forget why He came. 

So...stop! 

Remember.

Read the words of Jesus slowly.

I    came    that    they    may    have    life…

Mark Stinnett