So how do you feel about today? It’s Christmastime, and we parrots absolutely love it! We love all the sparkly lights, especially when we can swing upside down from the electric cables. We love flying onto the Christmas Tree and testing out all of the presents with our beaks. And there’s usually more food lying around which is just waiting to be pilfered. And it’s a time when many introvert humans behave more like extrovert parrots, meaning everybody’s happy. But is that really it? Is that why parrots celebrate Christmas? No, not in my case. Because I haven’t yet got to the very heart of Christmas. No, Christmas Day is all about the human baby called Jesus. Not just any baby, but the infant human that changed our lives for ever. The baby that is our Saviour, our deliverer, and our very own personal rescue service. Because when Jesus came to Earth, everything changed. He was, and still is an expression of God’s love towards us. A redeeming love that is greater than any of the troubles, conflicts and suffering we will ever endure here on Earth. You see, the lives of humans and all creation are so rarely a comfortable ride. We all have to endure hardships and suffering and threats and fear. All parrot-sized creatures have to cope with the predator-prey scenario, meaning that many of us exist on the edge of our nerves. We have to search for food, defend a territory, withstand tropical storms and fend off psittacosis. And just like humans, we try to pair up for life, and grieve if we lose our mate. It would be a pretty terrible situation if that’s all we had to look forward to. But the birth of Jesus changes everything. No wonder the angels filled the sky over Bethlehem because they knew what the arrival of Jesus meant for all creation, including yours truly.
So, Happy Christmas everybody! Happy Christmas! May you feel the love and sense the joy of a Saviour born for you!
“Hark the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new-born king.’
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
(Charles Wesley: [1707-1788]: English Anglican cleric and a principal leader of the Methodist movement)
“Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.”
(Corrie ten Boon: [1892-1983]: Dutch Christian writer and speaker who survived internment in a Nazi concentration camp)
“You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father’s face and tell Him you have received His Christmas gift.”
(John R. Rice: [1895-1980]: American Baptist evangelist)
“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you…”
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