Christmas Time Thoughts
Many years ago, I spent one Christmas time away from family and stayed with friends in the Great Southern area of Western Australia. Their father had died when they were both quite young.
As boys, these brothers became the men in the family and over time built up their farming property to be a successful enterprise. They were both good, honest, hardworking men, who also were faithful in their Christian belief.
I could certainly talk with them about harvest time, how the wheat, barley,and oats grew, why back then one had to wait until a little later in the morning to start up the header and get out and cut into the crop. But talking about personal things was difficult for them – they were just quiet guys who had some really good things to say, but just didn’t much like speaking it out.
There is this man talked about in the Bible who really had a huge impact about all we believe and practice at Christmas time, but of whom, from Scripture, we never hear a spoken word. We hear from Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel. Tradition has called Mary’s Song the Magnificat. We hear from Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and (eventually) from Zechariah, John’s father.
But we don’t ever read a recorded word that was spoken by Joseph. Oh,we read of his at least three dream encounters with an angel, or God Himself –first with a message to take Mary as his wife and raise Jesus as his father;the second to flee from Israel and travel to Egypt – an historic refugee journey – and third; to return to Israel because it was now safe to doso. Given the cultural and societal significance of all of the above,Joseph was a very courageous man. The strong silent type if you will. A lowly carpenter, from one of the lowliest places in the whole of Israel, at that time overrun by the Roman Empire, and “ruled” by a king who was a Roman puppet. Joseph did not have to do this, but he felt so led by God that he could not avoid the challenge set before him.
Just a day or so ago I read this social media post: “Sometimes God will puta Goliath in your life, for you to find the David within you.” I am sure that Joseph will have wondered something like “You want me to do what exactly?”,or “Why me?”, but he did. We just don’t ever hear his thoughts and words expressed.
There are some significant challenges in the year ahead for our aged care work. The looming Goliath is of course the Royal Commission into AgedCare Quality and Safety. You may already feel quite uneasy about what that is likely to reveal and how we will get through this. We will – no matter how much we are required to provide, and even to share with the Australian public – we will get through this.
My concern for each of you though is that even if your voice does not godown in any formal recorded historical moment, if you have any concerns about your wellbeing through this next twelve months, speak up. We want to also care for you. If you need at any time to share any concern about our behaviour that is both unbecoming, and contrary to our desire to provide a dignified life to our residents, then please share that with us too, so that we all be a “David” and improve how we provide our services.
Folks, I pray and hope that your 2018 Christmas brings you much joy, peace,and blessing, and that you have at least some time to reflect of the enormity of the coming of Jesus into the world – not to destroy the world, but to saveit!God bless you all – and Happy Christmas!