TEXT FOR THE MONTH
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. John 1:1, 14
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
At this time... the renewal of Christianity depends solely on accepting the Incarnation in all its fullness. For without the realization of God's love for the world, we can love neither the world nor God. Alan W. Watts, Behold the Spirit, John Murray, page 244
Dear Friends,
As Christmas is approaching and we are entering the festive season I thought a (hopefully) amusing true story might be in order, to lighten the mood.
To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, Cathy and I went on a day trip to Brussels. The cost of the flight was £6.98 each for the return flights before tax (although the tax itself came to £16 each!). Still, it sounded like a really good deal.
We arrived at Stansted airport at 10am for our 11am flight, but then
found out we were subject to the usual flight delays.
As a result our
flight arrived at Brussels Charlois at 2pm Belgium time. Thinking we were just
on the edge of Brussels we looked for connecting trains to the centre, only to
be told that there were no trains – only a bus service.
We
waited in the bus for about thirty minutes before it eventually left the
airport for Brussels. As we made our way slowly along the busy
“autoroute” I noticed a sign saying “Bruxelles 62km”.
Suddenly the reality of budget flights began to dawn on us. In the end
we eventually arrived in the centre of Brussels at 3.30pm, only to realise that
our return bus was to leave at 5pm in order to catch our return flight.
It
then took us some time to actually find the touristy area of Brussels so we
only had a brief visit to the Manniken Pis and a cup of coffee, before we had
to rush back to the bus station.
That meant we had a few minutes of
sightseeing for the grand total of 13 hours travelling time to and fro! Some
wedding anniversary!
Why do I mention this now, in the run up to Christmas? Because I think
life can be a bit like our trip to Brussels, and Christmas can be especially
like it. No I am not stretching the metaphor – think about it!
We often feel we are travelling somewhere, making great preparations to
arrive at our destination, and then, when we eventually arrive there, it is all
over in the flash of a pan. Preparing for Christmas can begin in October, but
it when it actually arrives and the true celebrations begin, it can pass us by
in no time at all. Most especially the meaning of Christmas can be lost under
the rush of activities, and for many people, the meaning itself can be seen as
irrelevant.
My prayer is that this Christmas you will be able to
take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas – Christ come to
earth, Immanuel, God with us. Maybe that means going to a carol service at the
church.
Maybe it means coming to the Singing in the Square in Aylesford
village. Maybe it means attending the Crib service on Christmas Eve, or the
Midnight Mass.
Whatever it is, don’t let all the preparations take
over so much that the very meaning of Christmas itself is forgotten about! I do
hope to see you in the very near future, and in the meantime, may you know
God’s peace and blessing for you and your family this Christmas and
throughout the coming year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!
Simon Tillotson
This letter appears in the parish magazine. To subscribe to the magazine please email Brian Eddy or contact the church office.
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