Advent I - Come and See ...

Monday, Dec 6, 2010. What do you need to know to live, to survive? You need to know where to get food. You need to drink. You need to know where to get clothing. The most important things to survive must be there … somewhere. And you need to know where to get them.

Stories - a Must-Have …

The bible offers us stories which we must have. The stories address another need, not the need of food first (but also the need of food). Not the need of clothing first (but also the need of clothing). They address the need for a purpose in my life. They address the need for a center of my life. They address the questions around life itself - what is it? What is it good for?

The Christmas stories are a Must-Have. They talk about love, what it means. They talk about humanity, about a little child. They talk about care and consideration, about the value of human life. It is the birth of a child, a special child, but a human child: Jesus. His humanity will receive a very special meaning for the relationship between God and mankind.

The Christmas story talks about the value of life, but not of life in general. It wants to be there for you, be relevant for your life, for your personal life as it is. You have a huge value in the eyes of the eternal God.

Christmas Story No.1 …

The first and central Christmas story is the story of the birth of Jesus. He was born around 2010 years ago in Bethlehem, a town in Palestine. Bethlehem is not just some town, it is the town of the Jewish king David. This town has been named by the prophets as the town from which the saviour and messiah, a special human, would rise. The birth place of Jesus links him to the Jewish history, to the message of the Old Testament.

But something new is coming in this little child. He is not just some new prophet. He is not just another king. This child has a much deeper meaning. It is a universal meaning, relevant for every human on the planet. He is there for everyone, for all who have lived and for all who will live. There is something special, very special indeed …!

As journalists we write stories, every day. The world is hungry for stories, new and old stories, new and old emotions, old and new developments. But this story is special. It is the Story No. 1, the deepest story ever told, the most moving story ever told, the most controversional story. In the time of advent we will think about the story of Jesus … day by day. ... more texts