My guess is that, if you are reading this, it will be during The Twilight Zone. 

You know, that really funny week between Christmas and New Year, when for many, every usual routine is broken. 

Bedtimes are later, mince pies for breakfast doesn’t feel weird, and there’s enough time to fit in just one more game of Trivial Pursuit. 

For me, it can be a lovely time with family, but it can also feel quite disconcerting and without structure. 

In truth, there have been a few times when, as an adult, I have felt quite low this time of year. I guess that was pretty much how Israel must have felt when Jesus arrived on the scene. There was a disruption in the force…

Things had been done in a particular way since forever. 

The Jews had their ancient traditions, and by the time Jesus was walking the walk and talking the talk, the Romans had occupied the land for nearly a century. 

In Nazareth, it must have been really perplexing when the now grown-up “kid next door”, self-proclaimed that He was the one of whom the scriptures prophesied: God-anointed to bring good news to the poor, bring freedom for prisoners, restore sight to the blind and set the oppressed free. 

The people of Nazareth were so entrenched in their ways, and probably used to bad news, constraint, blindness (some spiritual and some physical) and being under pagan rule, that they only had one response to Jesus’ message of hope, healing and salvation. 

“Let’s throw him off the cliff”, they conspired. Jesus slipped away though – He had God-places to go and God-things to do, but the people were rattled. 

As a race, we humans don’t always cope with change that well; there’s comfort in routine, whether it’s healthy or not, and Jesus came to bring change. 

It was as if the world was like a filthy fish tank. The bottom needed dredging, the glass scraping and the water changing, but the fish were flapping around terrified, unable to appreciate the end result. 

When Jesus delivered the demoniac known as the “Mad Man of Gadara”, the rest of the villagers demanded that Jesus leave the area immediately. They had been trying to constrain this poor fellow for years. Naked and tormented, chains could not hold him. 

Jesus healed him, and he was clothed, well groomed and in his right mind. So much so, that the villagers were terrified! Another disruption in the force… I know there had been that slight mishap with the herd of pigs along the way, (Luke 8), but surely this man’s restoration was a miracle worth celebrating!

Change can be good. And looking forward to the New Year, many of us aspire to make meaningful changes. 

We give up smoking, alcohol and swearing, and instead take up jogging, being nice and working hard. All very noble as I can personally attest (with varying degrees of success!) 

The greatest break to any humdrum routine and most life-affirming forever change that we can grasp going forward, is to seize hold of the Christmas gift of salvation given to all mankind, and pray: 

Jesus, thank You! Sorry I’ve messed up. Change me, disrupt me. Thank You that You chose to become human. That You chose to shed Your blood on the cross. 

In Your rising again and conquering hell, death and the grave, I am now forgiven and will choose to follow You.  

2024 is going to be great. God is absolutely good!