The news has been filled the past week with stories of baby Jesus statues that have been stolen from their places in manger scenes throughout the United States. One church has lost three thus far: an $1800 imported Jesus made in Italy, a $500 replacement made in the U.S., and an inexpensive rubber doll. It is currently attaching a GPS system inside the 4th doll in order to track it should it also disappear. Evidently, teens think stealing Jesus is a rather amusing adventure during the Christmas season.
Today on Christmas Eve day, we are told by numerous weather people that we can also track the presence of Santa as he goes around the world with his sleigh and reindeer delivering presents to good little boys and girls. Currently, as I write, he is over Japan. While I think the use of GPS systems has kept many people on the right track, I don't think we need them to discover either the presence of Christ or Santa. As Christians, we know He has been in our hearts for many years.
This morning in the Bible I was reading from Acts, chapter 17, which is set in Athens, and centers on the Apostle Paul's sermon on Mars' Hill. Addressing both the Athenians and the foreigners, Paul speaks the following words: "He (God) is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being . . . ."
Although we are assured of these words, many of us act as if we need a GPS system to find Christ. We go about our tasks each day rather blindly, depending upon ourselves and our own strength to accomplish our goals. It is only when we perceive Christ has somehow disappeared from our lives that we begin fretting and seeking Him once again. For 2009 we need to hold Him close so that He doesn't seem so far away. We do not need a GPS system.
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