Starting Over—Starting Fresh by Fr Yanni Michaelidis

Our God is one of fresh starts and new beginnings. We celebrate Christmas, His birth and Incarnation, as the beginning of the restoration of creation and humanity’s relationship with and to Him. The process is one where He humbly enters into His own creation, being born in a cave, in utter darkness, and poverty, where the first to greet Him are the lowly and destitute, the animals, and important visitors from faraway lands bearing prophetic gifts.

His own people seek to destroy Him, as a result of Him challenging their corrupt ways and misinterpretations of the Torah. Yet the least among them, the “sinners” and those not considered important or clean enough for society for various reasons hear His call. They hear the consistent reminder that their “sins are forgiven”, and those they must “go and sin no more”. He offers them a fresh start.

These fresh starts often come in moments of crisis, of sickness, of pain, of trouble, of death, moments where people depend on others to advocate for them in faithfulness and hope in the power of God. In His ability to offer, or restore justice, and balance to the world that had(s) grown ever more contrary and foreign to Him and the image (Adam & Eve) He had placed in the garden to look after it.

And so this Christmas and New Year, the same proclamations are made, as they were over 2000 years ago. Christ is Born! And Glorify Him! He has come to bring peace to the world among all men. The peace however is not something casually gifted but a way of being that must be lived. A relationship that must be entered into. A Person that must be known.

Christ is Born so that we too may be reborn, renewed, and live a life different from our usual or old one. Christ is Born to show us what an obedience of love, and desire and an understanding of real growth looks like. What being kind to oneself and others looks like. What it looks like to give up bad things for good things, and better yet, how to give up good things for better things. How to find ways to continually learn, and grow, and struggle and sacrifice in order to be and become new, and whole, and truly Gods children.

Merry Christmas! Christ is Born!

With all my love,

+Fr. Yanni Michaelidis