Whether I spent it in my grandparents' house in San Francisco as a child, in a storybook setting Europe as a young mother, or in the heat of Melbourne, Australia, I've always loved Christmas. To me, it's more than a season or a date on the calendar; Christmas is a power. Like the star that first drew attention to Jesus' birth, Christmas represents glimmering hope. And hope is an active ingredient, cracking open a door in thought to greater possibilities.
Each Christmas, people joyfully echo Isaiah's words in Handel's Messiah, "... unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isa. 9:6. The governing Christ, God's message of good, undoes limits through hope.
Jesus, embodying the power of the Christ, reversed what appeared to be permanent afflictions. He freed men, women, and children to claim their God-given right to healthy, happy lives. He exemplified hope as he articulated God's promise of divine companionship and government—and proved its value through his healing mission.
