"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. And the government will be upon his shoulders; And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end." - Isaiah 9:6-7a
There is something mysteriously glorious about Christmas! In this season, we all hope and wait in expectation for something wonderful to be revealed. The common joy and hope we share is palpable. There is desire for old things to pass away, and for all things to be made new; our habits, our bodies, our purpose. We all long for meaning beyond ourselves and share a deep desire for belonging to true community.
But a baby lying in a manger seems an odd candidate to place all our hopes and dreams upon, right? Surely we could have found a safer depository of all this expectation. A more noble birth. A more progressive town than Bethlehem. Better news outlets than shepherds. However, the incarnation inspires our wonder and imagination, because it is the work of God, and he is pretty good at using the most unlikely heroes to work out his salvation. In this baby, and through this family, all humanity’s hopes of a better world will come true!
Christmas is a time to let your imagination for the flourishing of our world run wild, because if God chose to be born of a virgin, entering our world shrouded by scandal, to bring wholeness to our brokenness, then anything is possible! The personification of God ushers in a new kingdom, where heaven meets earth, human flourishing truly extends from all people to all people and all the walls of injustice come crashing down, with bridges of justice, mercy, and love built in their stead.
"A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."
This is the ultimate Christmas gift! God with Us! Because he is with us, and he is for us, all oppression shall cease. Because he is with us, and is for us, all injustice will be made right! The light of The Son of God is piercing our darkness. Jesus truly is the gift that keeps on giving!
At Square Inch, we believe God has called us to participate in his ongoing work of restoration in our neighborhood by forming local leaders who transform their communities.
This holiday season, I am thankful for YOU and the way you have championed everything we are and everything we do. Thank you so much for your partnership! We can not dream the way we do and work to make those dreams reality without your generous support. Please click the "Give" button below to join us in bringing God's peace and flourishing to Third Ward; our little corner of the world. Watch the video below to learn more!
Square Inch Houston
Forming Leaders. Transforming Communities.
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