While sitting in a local coffee shop I watched as a little child came in to the restaurant with his mother. He instantly rushed over to a table where an elderly couple was sitting. The little boy was carrying a stuffed toy that was obviously new and he was very excited. The elderly couple was thrilled at the arrival of this small child and did not find the interruption of their quiet coffee break to be a problem at all. The small boy proceeded, in a voice we could all hear, to talk about this new toy and how it had come to be his. He had good news to share and he wanted the people who were in his family to know all about it. I have found that from the very youngest person to the very oldest person we always want to share what is most exciting to us. While I was interested in the event in the coffee shop it didn’t impact me personally so it made only a small difference in my life. I was made happy to see someone obviously so happy but, like social media posts that I don’t care about, I soon returned to what was happening in my own life. News is like that. We may be curious about it but when it doesn’t change anything in our own lives we soon forget it.
I am in the business of sharing news because I am an Anglican priest. All of the ceremonies in which I am involved are meant to help with the process of telling people that the ‘reason for this season’ is that Jesus of Nazareth was born among us as God’s Anointed One in order for us to be rescued from a path that was leading to death. Over the next few weeks we will all be hearing more about the birth of this special child and we may be tempted to just let the news slide by. I am asking that you take a moment to consider the fact that this news may be more important than you think. If you don’t already belong to a Church I suggest that you find a Christian Community which is celebrating this birth and go and learn a little more about how this news might affect your life. It is my hope that the message that changed my life, that made me excited enough to tell everyone I meet, will find an open and receptive ear. On behalf of the Anglican Church on Manitoulin Island I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
The Ven. Glen Miller
Archdeacon of the Anglican Deanery of Sudbury-Manitoulin
