Those of you who follow me on Facebook will have seen this picture already today. I love it because it looks like the snowman is queuing for a ticket. I took this at Battle station this morning.
Christmas is all about people on the move - people ask "where are you going for Christmas?" Christmas involves journeys - journeys to family, returning home for some people; journeys to parties or to other gatherings; journeys in your mind to Christmases past where people were with you and now are not; journeys to something special for some, getting away from the norm and escaping to sunnier climes.
I think especially at this time of Mary and Joseph who were forced to travel away from the familiar because of a regime edict and then found no room (and they say this story has nothing to do with today!!!)
I also think of Mary after receiving news of her baby journeying for sanctuary and wise counsel with Elizabeth.
I think of shepherds who were eager to journey to see for themselves the events in Bethlehem.
I think of magi journeying for ages from distant lands following a star, getting the direction wrong and then returning another way.
I think of the toddler Christ forced to flee for his life through impending genocide protected by his parents and welcomed as a refugee in a foreign country (again I say, they say this story has nothing to do with today!!!)
Wherever we travel in these weeks, let us remember the journeys in the story. All took courage and risks. Read the story and focus on journeys and you see that to journey might be hard but it leads to life. To stay where you are only leads to a stale boring dull existence.
Mind you, if Heart play Chris Rea "Driving Home for Christmas" much more, the radio in my car might be permanently broken...! :)
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