C.S. Lewis’ phrase, “always winter and never Christmas,” in describing the land of Narnia, captures something at the very heart of the Old Testament prophesies. The children of Israel waited in anticipation for winter to fade; for a Messiah to deliver them. Yet in the midst of this seemingly frozen, wintry silence, the prophets and kings kept their hope in focus - a hope that even in the midst of winter, Christmas was coming. This Christmas, we’ll look deeply into our lives for the places that seem to be “always winter and never Christmas” and remember that through the coming of Jesus, Christmas can break through!

In the midst of a polarized world, the way of God offers a better way of wisdom, peace, and common good. This is the way of "praus" - finding an alternative way between two extremes. The words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount address many current issues of our day and teach us how to rise above division with a "better way", a way filled with love, dignity, and Kingdom priorities.

As humans, our default setting is to focus on our own needs, our own lives. Yet God entrusted His work of transforming creation to "the body of Christ" - the church. How do we embrace our limitations, while taking the risk of standing up to opposition? The Old Testament story of Elijah, invites us to step back and think about the needs all around us, and to "jump in" to God’s work!