Do you ever wonder about Joseph, the man we see walking alongside a very pregnant woman on the way to Bethlehem? I’m often tempted to think of him as an unnecessary extra in the Christmas story. The Christ child is, of course, central, as is his mother, Mary. Meanwhile, the conception itself had happened without any help from Joseph. Then there are shepherds, sheep, wisemen, … [Read more...] about The obedience of Joseph central to the Christmas story
Christmas: the richness of presence
It’s now the second Christmas of COVID. Last year, celebrations were curtailed. We saw our daughter and son-in-law only briefly, distanced around a fire-pot in our wide-open garage, eating a Christmas breakfast we’d each cooked separately in our own kitchens. Memorable, but not ideal. From those depths of isolation orders and social distancing, we learned (in an inverted way) … [Read more...] about Christmas: the richness of presence