Earlier I watched a bit of last year's BBC's Nativity. I loved this last year, a fresh way to 'see' a story I know so well but is fundamental to my faith. This morning I was struck by a conversation supposedly between 2 of the magi. I've tried to find the exact words but can’t, but it went something like this...

Do you believe in God?

Yes...

What kind of God do you believe in? Do you think He is a power, that came, created and moved on, or a presence that has stayed with us, walking alongside us, guiding us, enabling us to grow up, rescuing us when we lost our way?

And it struck me that this is what makes Christianity different from many religions. Yahweh, God with us, Emmanuel, any of His names cry of His love for me, for us. He isn’t a random almighty power that made a bang and then moved on to bigger and better. He stayed with us, among us, got His hands dirty, was born in a stable, or a cave, grew up, ministered to us, died, rose again, saved us. And then stays with us through His Holy Spirit.

It's a mystery - why He chose to love us, how this thing called faith works, why He sometimes intervenes and why He doesn’t. But somewhere, sometime, I met my Lord. I know Him as a person, and I am blown away by Him. And, although I often get distracted by everyday life, I want to know Him better, love Him more, become more like Him.

So this Christmas - Happy Christmas - may you have the time and opportunity to meet with Him, for the first time, or the millionth.