Christmas Reflections

Now, this is the most melancholic period of the year. Ever since I entered NTU and knew about Christ better, the month of December got.. A certain special meaning. This Christmas is no exception, as it was very special as well.

I tried to reflect in my life what does Christmas means to me (For they say, Christmas isn't Christmas 'til it happen in your heart). I started from the first week of Advent as I went through the traditional meaning of each candles lit every week: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. I got mixed feelings, and I even experienced serious struggles in between them. Why does the second week of Advent celebrate Peace when I have troubles running into my minds? Where does the hope that they say comes with Him when I felt hopeless in my struggles? I can see the Joy in the celebration of Christmas, but it's not always inside people's hearts. And don't let me begin on the love - we are incapable of it.

But as today's Christmas service went through the candle light prayers I remember my friend back on the time of my late first year or early second year said on a sharing that:

"When an object moves towards a light or a candle, its shadow will grow bigger"

Now that was what we might experience in our life. We felt that even though we tried to do His bidding we are unable to do so. We felt that even when we tried to do what He commands us to do towards our neighbor, they don't response back or neglect us (it hurts even more when the neighbor is a fellow believer). We felt that we are hopeless men walking in sorrowful path, with the burden of our sinful ways (that we still walk into after we accept Jesus) crippling our spine.

But it is not because we are getting worse, neither it is because God is bullying us. But it is because He shows us what we need to do and what we are lacking of. He shows us who we really are by shining His light into our deepest, darkest heart.

Now that should make us realize that, even in our best condition, we are still far from God's standard. That is why we are able to appreciate His sacrifice even more: that God came down to earth as a humbled man to die on the symbolism of curses and stain. He brings hope to our life: for without Him we have none. He brings peace to our life: for without Him all is lost. He brings joy to our life: for without Him there is no reason to be joyful. He introduced to us what is love: for He is love, and with His love we are freed.

So to close this reflections, I want to share a song I used in the Christmas service when I am leading it. It is called "Muliakanlah" in Indonesian (KJ100), but in the original version, it is called "Ere zij God".

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Ere Zij God

Ere zij God, ere zij God!
In de hoge, in de hoge, in de hoge!
Vrede op aarde, vrede op aarde,
In de mensen een welbehagen.
Ere zij God in de hoge, ere zij God in de hoge!
Vrede op aarde, vrede op aarde,
Vrede op aarde, vrede op aarde!
In de mensen, in de mensen, een welbehagen!
In de mensen, een welbehagen, een welbehagen!
Ere zij God, ere zij God!
In de hoge, in de hoge, in de hoge!
Vrede op aarde, vrede op aarde,
In de mensen een welbehagen.
Amen, amen.

Muliakanlah

Muliakanlah, muliakanlah!
Tuhan Allah, Tuhan Allah, Maha Tinggi!
Damai sejaht'ra turun ke Bumi,
Bagi orang pengasihan-Nya.
Muliakanlah Tuhan Allah! Muliakanlah Tuhan Allah!
Damai sejaht'ra turun ke Bumi,
Damai sejaht'ra turun ke Bumi!
Bagi orang, bagi orang, pengasihan-Nya!
Bagi orang, pengasihan-Nya, pengasihan-Nya!
Muliakanlah, muliakanlah!
Tuhan Allah, Tuhan Allah, Maha Tinggi!
Damai sejaht'ra turun ke Bumi,
Bagi orang pengasihan-Nya.
Amin, amin.

Let there be Light in our hearts.

Oh and yea... Merry Christmas to all of you =)