More from Packer

I am still soaking in ''Knowing God'' by J.I. Packer. The subtitle for the section of the book I am reading is, ''He Became Poor'', it goes on to talk some about the Christmas story and how you and I as Christians ought to make the ''Christmas spirit'' a part of our everyday lives. Similar to living a cross centered life or preaching the gospel to myself every day. Let me share a little of what Packer has to say.

''We talk glibly of the ''Christmas spirit'', rarely meaning more by this then sentimental jollity on a family basis. But what we have said makes it clear that the phrase should in fact carry a tremendous weight of meaning. It ought to mean the reproduction in human lives of the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas. And the Christmas spirit itself ought to be the mark of every Christian all the year round.''

''It is to our shame and disgrace today that so many Christians-I will be more specific: so many of the soundest and most orthodox Christians- go through this world in the spirit of the priest and the Levite in our Lords parable, seeing human needs all around them, but (after a pious wish and perhaps a prayer, that God might meet those needs) averting their eyes and passing on the other side. This is not the Christmas spirit. Nor is it the spirit of those Christians-alas they are many-whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice middle-class Christian home and making nice middle-class Christian friends and bringing up their children in nice middle-class Christian ways and who leave the submiddle-class sections of the community, Christian and non-Christian to get on by themselves.''

This broke my heart. I see this all the time, all around me. I then looked in the mirror and I looked at my own life and not at the lives of others (the way it should be). You know what I saw? Packer was talking about me too. I can think of so many instances in my own life where someone was hurting and because I either did not like them or thought them less then me I passed them buy, sometimes with a prayer, sometimes not. Wretched man that I am! How is it that GOD humbled himself to the point of being born human and then dying and I can't love another human being! Indeed, I am pathetic. Many of you know my dog April. She is absolutely the most pathetic dog that I know. One look at her face and you would have to agree with me! Seems fitting I guess that she has a pathetic owner! Thank God that her pathetic owner is saved by grace!

Father, help me to live with that Christmas spirit every day.