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Musings

Christmas Eve 2011

posted on December 24, 2011 by Musings

Fourth Saturday in Advent –  The Light has Come to All People

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
and thick darkness the peoples;

Isaiah 60:1-3

Dr. Les Morgan arrived in the states a few weeks ago, and last Monday, for the first time since he left us in that hot, smelly Dhaka airport nearly half a year ago, the four pilgrims were reunited with one of their hosts.

I admit that in the months following our pilgrimage, I have not always kept the sufferings and hardships of the Bengali people in the forefront of my mind. School, preparations for the future, and other activities have quickly become center, a reminder of how easily we can become wrapped up in our daily lives. But Christmas is a time for joy, for reflection, and for family, a time when the things we maybe should have been thinking of all along come creeping back into our hearts. That evening, the five of us discussed ways we can continue to build our relationship with the Church of Bangladesh, and ways we can bring it to the attention of others around the country.

Les has since boarded his plane for Bangladesh, and instead of spending their holiday season here with friends and family, he and Cindy will celebrate the birth of Christ in their modest home with the people of Bangladesh, over 8,000 miles away. It might sound depressing, but I believe that couldn’t be further from the truth. There is no commercialization of Christmas in the Church of St. Thomas that stands in the streets of Old Dhaka. There is still singing and praying and the good news of Christ being proclaimed in the sanctuaries and church offices of Mirpur, or in Mission Hospital in Rajshahi. There is still time for joy, reflection, and family in the rice fields of the Santal villages, and today, here on Christmas Eve, I can’t imagine that I would feel the Christmas spirit any less in the homes of those who welcomed us last summer than I would in my own church here in Shreveport.

Merry Christmas!

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us open our hearts to the true meaning of Christmas, and to share and rejoice in Your good news, with those both here at home and far away. Your glory has indeed appeared over us in Your Son, bringing light to all nations and all people. Amen.

Today’s reflection was written by Chris Webb, a member of First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport. Chris is one of the four pilgrims who traveled to Bangladesh last summer. They were hosted by Drs. Les and Cindy Morgan, medical mission co-partners who are members of First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport

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