Christmas

A Christmas card

A Christmas card

What a year! We saw lions rise from the tall grass to begin the hunt. We listened to the soaring of prayers and the whistle of an icy wind rising over the cusp of Kilimanjaro. We sang carols in the church where Jesus was born. We walked across Galilee—twice. And we stroked the face of the dying.

A nick visit

A nick visit

Local tradition suggests that the real St Nicholas (of Christmas fame) lived for a short time in the Bethlehem area. I pulled on my coat to visit someone who could tell me more.

Christmastide pilgrims

It may seem odd to be thinking about pilgrims at Christmastide. But it is fitting. Pilgrimage is for every season. There is never a wrong time to undertake a journey for the purpose of encountering God. Most pilgrimages are unexpected and topsy-turvy experiences. Sometimes they get messy. Ask Paul the Apostle. Whom did he expect to meet on the road to Damascus? Or ask the Christmas shepherds. After they heard the angelic announcement, they said:

"Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened" (Luke 2:15).