The power of a baby
Published: Fri, 01/01/21
Many of course were relieved to avoid the socialising, expense, and pointless effort which the so called festive season has come to embody. Maybe it was time for a year in which to think about why Christmas matters, if indeed it does at all.
This Christmas was our daughter, Iduna’s first one that she was aware of (last year she was only two weeks old on Christmas day). Her experience was more limited than it might have been this year but she enjoyed herself, and was the centre of attention in the way that only a cheerful one year old can be.
For me, as a first time father, and later in life, your own baby makes you think about where you and your family have come from, as you will be telling your child who she is and who her ancestors were. The present is dominated by a tiny, selfish, messy, noisy, demanding, and adorable little person who knows that the universe revolves around her. The future matters in a way that it didn’t seem to before the little one arrived. What kind of world will she find herself in? What threats might she have to face? What opportunities will she get to fulfill her potential? What can we give her that will prepare her for the unknown journey ahead? Iduna is just a baby, pretty much like any other really in her basic needs and progress. Yet life is different, with a meaning purpose, joys and anxieties, it never had before.
The story of Christmas tells of a baby being born into a dangerous and uncertain world dominated by the rich and powerful. A world not so different to ours. That particular baby grows into a man who brings a message of hope to the world. The essence of the message? That everyone is of value to God in the same way that our baby is valued by her parents. A baby born in first century Palestine to parents who were people of no significance may seem like a strange way for God to send his representative into the world. Would not a display of power and might have had more impact on powerful men used to displays of force? I know that a baby has its own kind of power to reach, and change, your heart.
A New year thought for you to consider:
What kind of power will move me to be the person I really want to be?
The bribes, enticements, threats and violence of war, the law, politics, and big business?
Or the helpless little child demanding your love, care, and devotion?
Happy New year
Graham