A gift beyond imagination - The somewhat different Advent Calender XXIV ...

Monday, Dec 24, 2012. The advent time is over. It is Christmas eve. Our time of preparation comes to an end. It is the evening we celebrate the coming of Christ, the coming of Jesus, the coming of God into our world, into our life.

Giving gifts and receiving gifts …

Christmas is a gift. It is not something, we could achieve. We cannot make it. We cannot generate it. We cannot produce it with what we have. Our will, our capacities, our strength - all this is not getting us anywhere. God needs to come. He needs to do it. He needs to provide and to save.

We give gifts to each other at Christmas. These customs reflect the gift, which God gives to us at Christmas. He gives Jesus. He gives himself. He gives salvation, justice, truth, love and a future to us!

Advent time is a time to prepare for God's gift. We cannot generate the gift, but we can prepare ourselves to be able to receive it. When he gives justice, it is good for us to be able to receive justice. When he gives truth, it is good that we are prepared for the truth. It is good to prepare us for love, for pure hearts, for forgiveness and for reconciliation! We have read about the ancient doors, which need to open up. We have read about the preparation, make a way for the Lord. We have taken part, have started to change our life. We have started to let the Holy Spirit take control, to clean up our mess. Now, we are prepared to receive the gift. In fact, the preparation is already a good part of this process, of receiving Jesus.

Vine and Branches …

How did it work out for you? How did you get through the advent time? Have you been able to go steps of faith, to prepare yourself for the Lord? Have you been able to open your own personal doors for him?

Time does not stop at Christmas. We move into a new year, into new developments, into further steps of faith. Jesus is there. He wants to be with us, to live with us, to talk to us and to listen to us. He wants to be a part of our life!

Jesus talked about the vine and the branches (John 15). He wants to be the source of our life, the source of our activities. He wants us to be the branches, who give fruits of life to others. It is a fantastic image. It all starts with Christmas, and then it moves on into Spring and Summer and Harvest. Today, let us celebrate God's wisdom, who came to us, who became human, who came into the middle of our world in and with Jesus. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts