The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. – Acts 16:28

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 24, 2017): Acts 16

To my Friends;

One of the most popular Christmas Carols is “Away in a Manger.” It is a simple song, often sung by children, and yet it still has the ability to touch the hearts of those much older. It comes with two tunes. And at one point it was believed to have been written by Martin Luther, in fact, the earliest copies of the song that we have from the late 19^th century includes the title “Luther’s Cradle Song,” but now it is believed to be entirely American in origin. It seems likely that the song was written in conjunction with 400^th anniversary of Luther’s birth in 1883.

For me, and I don’t mean this to take away from the song, but the one line “no crying he makes” has always been troubling. If Jesus was born under the normal conditions that are shared with the rest of humanity, then crying is an essential form of communication. For babies, it is the most prominent form of communication, telling us older ones when they are cold, or hungry, or even just lonely and in need of a cuddle. But even as we grow older, tears remain a necessary element of our emotional make-up and continue to be an essential part of our communication.

I am not sure that anyone would be blamed if tears fell from their eyes as they watched Paul and Silas endure this beating for their faith. Or that anyone would blame Paul and Silas for the tears that spilled from their eyes as they experienced the intense pain of the attack. Tears never make us less. They communicate a reality that words are often unable to express.

I wish I could say that we have left this kind of abuse in the past, but the reality is that we haven’t. As we prepare to welcome the birth of Jesus, there are many Christians in various parts of the world, that are being beaten and imprisoned for the crime of believing in, and following, this Child of the Manger. OpenDoors reports that every month 322 people are killed for the crime of believing in Jesus, 214 churches, and Christian owned properties are destroyed, and 722 acts of violence are committed against Christians. Every day Christians are imprisoned for their faith. And if Jesus did not cry in the manger, I believe that he is crying now.

Welcome to Christmas Eve. My prayer is that you will have a Merry Christmas and that you will take time to honor the Christ of the Manger. But I also hope that you will also remember the persecuted church, people just like us who have been imprisoned for their belief in the Christ Child. And maybe, even on this happiest of days, shed a tear for those who are suffering this Christmas for no other reason than their commitment to Jesus. We stand together as a globally united church, or we stand without Christ in our midst. We are the lucky ones.

Merry Christmas.

Garry  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Acts 17