Chaplain’s Chat

Hello, and Happy New Year!  I hope you enjoyed reaching out to others, as restrictions eased for Christmas.

Did you notice how Christmas highlighted how we’re hard-wired to cultivate our connections?  We enjoy the greetings, gatherings, worship, concerts, gifts and so on, over this season.

That comes as no surprise since we thrive on ‘Connection, Meaning, and Purpose’, according to those who think deeply about ‘what makes us tick’.  We thrive when life makes sense (meaning), when we have something to get out of bed for (purpose), and when we cultivate connections with others, with our world and with God or ‘something bigger than us’.

No wonder Christmas is such a huge celebration. It focusses on the most momentous connection of all – God’s connection into the human race – the incarnation.

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” which means “God with us”.  Matthew 1:23.

God came to us in-Person because He said from the beginning that:

“It is not good for man to be alone” Genesis 1:18.

Humanity had disconnected from God and seriously lost its way. But the baby in the Christmas manger was God the Son (Jesus) becoming one of us, to show us the way to thrive. During his ministry Jesus said:

“I have come that they might have life … to the full.” John 10:10.

Christmas celebrates SUCH a wonderful event that I doubt we could ever have enough tinsel, celebration and worship.  But as the new year gets underway, I hope and pray that the sparkle and wonder of Christmas will remain in our hearts and minds, inspiring us to cultivate our connections with God and to thrive by His blessing throughout 2022.

Keep looking up,

DON MCPHERSON, Manager – Chaplaincy & Mission Services

Read more stories from Belong: Summer 2022 | Edition 24