Sanctuary Foundation Advent Devotional Day 3
I once spent Christmas in Malaysia, lazing on golden sand under blue skies with my belly full of freshly made curry. It should have been perfect but years of associating Christmas with dark, cold days, cosy open fires and hot mulled wine were hard to shake off. I felt like I was in the wrong place. I longed for home.
The first Christmas in Bethlehem echoed something of that feeling of displacement. The town was a small, insignificant backwater, a curious and unorthodox location for something so momentous as the long-awaited arrival of God himself.
Yet this was exactly the place God had planned. The prophet Micah said:
“But you, Bethlehem, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel…. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.”
This Bethlehem prophecy offers hope to all of us who struggle with where we belong at Christmas. Those of us who are homeless, lonely or elderly. Those of us who are refugees and asylum seekers. Those of us who have lost family. Those of us who feel like we don’t fit in.
The Bethlehem prophecy is a promise of sanctuary. However far away you feel from home, however insignificant you feel, God can bring the life of security you long for.
Thank you
Krish Kandiah
Director, Sanctuary Foundation
Thank you for joining us on this Season of Sanctuary Advent Journey looking at the themes of welcome and hospitality that lie at the heart of the Christmas story. As you prepare your hearts and homes for Christmas, please consider opening doors of hope for those around you. For more inspiration and information please visit www.sanctuaryfoundation.org.uk