God’s chosen child was despised by those who were still praying fervently for the Messiah’s arrival. I might have enjoyed the irony if I hadn’t been so hungry. And lonely.
Tag Archives | Advent
Can you see God in our faces? – (Alexander’s story) Prepare Them Room #3
Our geography was not quite so good as our astronomy. You would think that a group of world-renowned natural scientists who could calculate the draconian month in any given Saros cycle, forecasting the exact hour of an eclipse with pinpoint accuracy would be able to navigate their way from Herod’s palace to Bethlehem – but, no.
‘You don’t want a Messiah.’ (Herod’s Story) – Prepare Them Room #2
The media have twisted it to say I was slaughtering innocent children. But I’m the hero – destroying a traitor who could bring down this whole country.
The security of our country was at stake – do you even realise that? It wasn’t about power, it was about the good of the country.
What if God Comes in Disguise? Prepare Them Room #1
They were filthy, both of them. The donkey, too. They stank, and the woman was drenched in sweat. So, there was that, for a start.
Plus, they couldn’t have chosen at a worse time to turn up – the house was already teeming with Roman soldiers, and I was out of ideas to keep the kids entertained quietly. Trust me: you do not want to annoy an armed Roman soldier.
Last Minute Advent Book
If you’re looking for an Advent book to read, and you haven’t yet read mine, check out Those Who Wait. It’s about how to find God in times of disappointment, doubt or delay.
Mary’s Story, Jesus the Refugee – Prepare Them Room 4
We ran because God told us to run. No one aspires to become a refugee: the taste of humiliation is bitter. We ran, not to improve our lives, but to save them.
Alexander’s Story – Prepare Them Room 3
“What comes first: God clashing the stars, so it causes people to act in strange and wonderful ways, or God foreseeing the affairs of men and marking them in the sky?”
Herod’s Story: Prepare Them Room 2
This is my second creative piece for Off the Page in the Prepare Them Room series, on hospitality and refugees in the Christmas story.
Read this and ask yourself: do I recognise any world leaders here? And the more uncomfortable question – do I recognise myself here?
