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Not everyone was thrilled at the news of the birth of Jesus. Many were worried about the news of his birth. King Herod was unhappy with the news that a new king was coming to take over what he considered his own. He was furious and premeditatively unleashed a massive execution of infants to ensure that the newborn King was killed. That was how he understood the birth of Jesus, a King coming to take his place. If Herod interpreted his birth as that, imagine what it meant to hundreds of women who lost their children at the hands of Herod. The angels shout 'Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favours!' How much peace did those women know when their children were brutally murdered by Herod? Ironically, the Wise men from the east considered the newborn child as king and brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. Unbeknownst to them, one of their gifts, myrrh would be used first in the burial of the children murdered by Herod. His coming brought p...

No time is too late for God to show his might, love, empathy, and care. He does care and wants to identify with us. Zechariah didn't see it coming. It wasn't a lottery, but he won the greatest affectionate draw in biblical history, following in the footsteps of Abraham. That's one of the implications of the nativity. The coming of 'God with us' opens every door. No time is too early for God. Humans exist in time and space, but God doesn't. 'Why me?' Mary asked. 'I'm but a virgin.' Doing the impossible in the eyes of mankind is a way God puts his stamp on the envelope of salvation history. He posted his good news of redemption through an innocent, childlike, simple girl. His Son is the Good News because he's salvation himself. Then the new and old met; the virgin and the barren embraced; the young and the elder entertained. Her greeting was simple but powerful. She said: 'Hello Elizabeth!' The child in her womb leaped for joy...

Every year we anticipate, expect, and approach the four weeks before Christmas with the wholeness of memory that is past, experience that is in the present, and a hope that looks to the future. Advent comes every year. Is it taken for granted? I do not think so. Like every other thing that happens once a year, it is expected, imagined, and welcomed. A typical example is a birthday. When your birthday comes, it is a day you remember and celebrate no matter how big or small the celebration is. It is momentous and symbolic. You cast your mind back to the birthdays of yesteryears, compare the previous with the now, and perhaps, imagine what the future birthday will be like. Advent stands for the coming of something or someone important. In Christian tradition, it is the expectation and preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. It is also a time for dedicated prayers and spiritual preparations for the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. In Western Christianity, it marks the ...