A Messiah In Disguise… Hello Hump Day Readers. A joyful and hopeful New Year to you all! So, Christmas is in the past and a new year is in our future. What can we take from Christmas to this year 2025 that can change our lives and other lives? I ask this because it is so easy to take down all the Christmas stuff and continue life without a thought of what we just rejoiced about. So, I have some questions for us all:

  1. How was your Christmas this year? Are you glad it is over or still enjoying it?
  2. Was there something in this 2024 Christmas that seemed lacking to you?
  3. How was your ‘joy-factor’ this Christmas?
  4. Did you feel something was missing this Christmas?

That last question is one that several years ago I struggled with an answer. I felt something was missing but I couldn’t put my ‘finger on what it was’. So, I want to share a true story with you which fits right with my and your holiday struggles as well.

“With the passing of years, Henry’s life had changed in many ways. His children were grown. The neighborhood was different and he was unhappy, so he asked his pastor if he was unhappy for some sin he’d committed. His pastor replied, “Yes, and we all have this same sin: the sin of ignorance.” Puzzled at this, Henry asked what this ignorance was about and his pastor replied, “One of our neighbors is the Messiah in disguise, and we have not seen him.”

OK, that is a twist that hit me hard. I knew immediately what that pastor meant and how easy it is for us to be in our own ‘cocoon’ paying little attention to others. And at Christmas, even though we are buying gifts for one another, our attention span is short—we’re drilling in on just what we need to get done, losing the real meaning of this holiday. And Henry? Well, everything changed. He began seeing people he’d never seen even though they were right in his neighborhood. He decided to listen to his neighbors and he entered their conversation. He didn’t want to miss a thing; after all, just maybe he might be listening to the Messiah, just like his pastor said. And other changes happened: the bounce returned to his step, his eyes took on a friendly sparkle and he told his family and friends: “All I know is that things changed when I started looking for God.”

Ah, now you know the real story about Henry and for you and me as well. What are we doing on this holiday—looking for God or are we looking for what our society tells us we need to do to have the best Christmas? Now that Christmas is over, we should ask ourselves “was this the best Christmas ever or what did we miss?

In Luke 2 [NLT] we hear the great announcement: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Honestly, how could anyone have slept through that heavenly noise? Yet, many did—except for the lowly shepherds. Where were the Jews? Where was the family and friends of Mary and Joseph? Where were you and me…think about it. In this new year, open your eyes to see the “Messiah” in others, those who are loving and caring for one another. SEE them and do what they are doing.

In closing, I thought about this deeply: Henry didn’t see Jesus because he didn’t know what he looked like. The people in Jesus’ day missed him, too. So how about us…how are things looking in our neighborhood? Be the one who sees Jesus and shares him to all. What a way to start ​’​Year 2025​’ – AMEN​!