Merry Christmas everyone! Today is the big day that we’ve all been waiting for. All throughout the Advent season we’ve been longing for this day to come; the day we can finally celebrate the arrival of the baby Jesus.
For those of you who have been following along with the Advent wreath, all four of the outer candles representing hope, peace, joy and love have already been lit. Each week as we light another candle the light gets brighter and brighter; the darkness receding to nothingness. Until today, Christmas Day, we haven’t been able to light the center candle; the Christ candle.
Finally today we can light the ultimate candle, the one that lights up the whole world and eliminates all darkness once and for all. Today is the day we can sing from the mountaintops: “Joy to the world. The Lord Has Come.”
Today we can begin to imagine what life will be like when everything is made right once and for all.
We can imagine a day when there is no more pain and suffering.
A day when there is no more war, greed, violence, fear.
A day when there is no more sickness, addiction, homelessness, abuse, loneliness.
A day when there are no more broken families, broken dreams, broken hearts.
A day when we can finally close down our shelters because everyone has a home.
A day when our work is finished.
I know some of you are working today in one of our shelters. Some are at home with family doing your annual Christmas traditions. Wherever you are, I hope and pray that you each have a blessed and Merry Christmas. Thank you all on behalf of Brad and the THHS Management Team for the work you do to bring peace and hope to the world.
A note from our Executive Director
Christmas time is here. Happiness and cheer. Christmas is a time of celebration. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate with family and with friends. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate family, friends and life. Yet even as we take time over the holidays, it is abundantly clear that many of the people who stay with us in our shelters during this time of year do not have the same sense of happiness. They may not have friends to spend time with or have family drawing near. They may have lost that sense of joy that comes with living life. But as they stay with us, we have an opportunity to share with them.
This is the reason we do what we do. And this is the reason that Jesus became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood. In John 1:4 we read “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Christmas is a time for sharing life and shining light in the darkness. It is a time for celebrating the birth of Jesus. May we take time to celebrate the joy of Christmas at this time and throughout the year. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
–Bradley Harris
Joy to the World. The Lord has come!
Let earth receive her King.
Amen.