WLSU, Everybody’s Birthday - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

Speaking as a Christian, I don't say Christmas is everyone's birthday for the sake of quaint comparison. I believe the birth of Jesus changes every person for all time. Because of Jesus, every single person on this planet is deeply connected to the God who made them. Every single person. It doesn't matter where they were born, what they believe or don't believe, how they vote, if they pray or not. In Jesus, God has chosen to hold onto every single one of us forever, to redeem every single one of our lives. God has said yes to us, and indeed to all of creation. We all belong utterly to God without condition. So Christmas is the celebration of Jesus, yes. But through Jesus, Christmas is a celebration of each and every one of us. It's a celebration of our lives, of our belonging. If we are serious about recognizing who Jesus is and celebrating what God has done, then this season, this holy day, is best spent celebrating our humanity and the beautiful humanity of those around us. Because on this day we remember that God blesses our humanity. The things we want for children on their birthday - to feel special, to feel loved, to have a wonderful day in which they can really experience a sense of what a blessing it is that they exist, what a blessing they are to those of us who know them - this is a list of what God wants for us on Christmas. But let's be realistic: There will still be stress and anxiety because of our expectations. There is no way around this I suppose. I want to stay honest about that. Want to support our podcast? Give Here or if you can't access the link, see it here: https://redeemercincy.tpsdb.com/Give/podcast