First Christmas Day in Fiji

I'd scoured Suva for a Nativity set thinking I'd find one handcrafted out of dried palm leaves or wood carved. Disappointment. Not a sniff of one. I could do you numerous turtles, masks, little ships and Buddhas, but no Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The wonderful specimen above, having whined about the lack of one in their hearing, was therefore a gift from Josiah, Mercy, Wes and Jerusha, the American Baptist/UMC family - see previous blog - serving at the Methodist Theological College in Nausori. They fashioned it with their own fair hands and a whole bunch of love and care. I was hugely touched. The four seashells in the front represent the stable animals. The coral on the right definitely has the essence of woolly sheep, don't you reckon?

Not only did the wonderful Neals produce a Nativity scene, they came with me to see the Paddington film which was released here before Xmas day. It's terrific: just great, and with many a powerful and poignant theme in there too about being far from home, finding welcome or rejection as the stranger, London as a warm, embracing, global city or a cold, harsh and impenetrable place. I came out with moist eyes going, 'Awwww...!' It's side-splittingly funny too, however. So it gets a 5 star review from one who's been devoted to Paddington since first being able to read and has a full set of the original Penguins enhanced by Peggy Fortnum's inspired line illustrations. I had this one stuck to my filing cabinet all last year, hurtling towards the PhD finishing line.

And so Christmas day dawned in Suva. The previous day, to be on the safe side, I had pre-booked Yogesh and his cab for 8.30am to run me to Dudley Memorial Church where I was preaching at 9.00. Yogesh works the patch outside our College and I'm a regular. There he was, on the dot. 

'Hi - Happy Christmas!' I said, and held out fruit cake and one of the Methodist Church in Britain's 'Gift of Christmas' booklets I'd ordered in bulk for sharing here. 'May I give you this small gift for Christmas?' I ventured politely, only to learn for the first time that Yogesh is Christian, actually - I'd assumed he was Hindu. You see? He was off to his own Church, World Harvest Centre, later at 1.00pm. 'But I cleaned the cab and came to drive you first, Talatala', he said. 'It's important'. The meter clocked up $5.00 but he wouldn't take it. 'My Christmas gift to you', he said.

These were our Bible readings at Dudley this morning.

Isaiah 52.7-10 

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. 9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

John 1:1-14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

I suggested in the sermon that Jesus was 'Good News' for three reasons that can be found in these passages. Firstly, in a mysterious way we'll never fully grasp, Christians believe that Jesus was in at the very heart and start of things. As God spoke creation into being, according to Genesis, the Word that we've come to know personally as life and light in Jesus was somehow in that very forming and shaping. Secondly, Jesus is 'Good News' because he knew what it was to be unrecognised and unwelcome - even in Bethlehem his birthplace. Therefore he stands in complete solidarity with many in this world who are faceless, voiceless, rejected: for whom there is no room at the inn, no welcome in the land. Cue sermon illustration from the Paddington movie! Thirdly, Jesus is 'Good News' because he glorifies God even through his childhood humanity and gives us hope that we can too. If we receive him and believe in his name, he gives us the right to become children of God. We don't just live with nervous expectation that we might be acceptable, flawed and failed as we are. We boldly claim our family status - warts and all - as beloved children. 

I hope that was sufficient Good News for one sermon!

And talking of children, the invitation to preach had kindly come from Dudley's minister the Revd Dr Immanuel Reuben who's pictured here with granddaughter Letitia - and a little girl from next door who'd wandered in sensing Christmas cake and a cuddle might be on offer. It's open house at the Reuben's. I was touched to be so warmly and generously included for Xmas lunch along with different branches of their family, some of whom live in Australia and New Zealand and had come home to Mum and Dad for Christmas. Goat curry, rice, roti, green veggies with fiery chillies and a great tomato chutney were on the menu, followed by fresh pineapple and ice cream. How was your turkey?

It's lovely, I must say, to have fast internet and be able to e-mail and Skype friends and family in the UK, Zambia and other sundry places. Also to have received lots of 'snail mail' including some chunky jiffy bags. Nothing like a chunky jiffy bag under the Xmas tree... I'll be saying personal thank you's of course, but why shouldn't my gratitude be blogged as well? There are some very, very lovely people in my 'world' who've remembered me and been in touch. Thank you.  And I think I'm grateful - to more than one person, actually - who's been a touch elf obsessed this year. 

I therefore include, for your delectation and delight, the uplifting (or mildly disconcerting) offering my dear God-daughter Lydia came up with. 

Click here if you dare....

I'm going to go out now (6pm) and continue my first Christmas Day in Fiji with a long walk down the beautiful seafront, just two minutes from the house. I expect I'll meet the neighbours walking off their goat curry (or whatever) too. And gazing at the vastness of the ocean I'll give thanks again for a tiny Christ-child, born to offer the world God's light and life. 

Mission partners in Fiji, or anywhere else for that matter, only go because he came.

Alana, Revd Reuben's latest grandchild, will be
baptised on 5th January.

Merry Christmas!