Christ the Saviour is Born

Christmas greetings from New Zealand.  Yes, its Christmas day and I'm wearing shorts and I'm already sunburnt  (apparently theres a hole in the ozone layer over this part of the world).  Its the first Christmas that I've had that hasn't been in our living room at home, but thats really not what matters.  I got to experience the day a five and an eight year old, and again see the familiar stack of lego kits that remind me of my brothers younger years.  I've gotten to read a lot today, and take my youngest cousin Connor to the park to play.  (What a concept- playing outside on Christmas!)  Its so nice to be away from everything and have a chance to feel relaxed.  It has definitely been an eventful few days.  First came A LOT of flying with NO motion sickness (!!!!!) which was fun because international flights are long, but the planes are excessively nicer than domestic ones.  (Individual screens with a wide selection of movies free of charge, games, music, and even messaging between seats!  Plus free food!)  The time went by fast.  I've had pumpkin, lamb, and mint on a pizza (delcious), observed my father learning to drive on the left, and seen the infamous Maori haka.  On the other hand, we've also had earthquakes.  If you didn't know, Christchurch has had several earthquakes in the last year or so.  Most of the downtown is now closed off, and many buildings are sitting crooked or have large chunks missing from them.  The ones two days ago also caused a lot of liquefaction, or water coming up from the ground so many streets and homes are flooded with water and silt.  The majority of homes and buildings have been damaged in some way, and unless there can be a significant period without quakes, insurance payoffs will be hard to come by so people can't rebuild.  Saddest of all is the effect that these repeated earth-shaking (literally) events have had on the people.  People are terrified.  We were driving in the car when the first one hit, and it first felt like someone was jerking the wheel back and forth or we had hit a huge pothole.  My uncle was yelling to pull over and I thought we had blown a tire or something.  My first clue that something was really wrong was the sight of a woman in business skirt and heels running for her life across the street, as people poured out of their offices.  Christchurch is not the happiest of cities right now.  The people have been beat down again and again, just when they start to fix their homes they have been knocked down again and again.  Another quake was especially tough to have at Christmas.  Though the malls had to be shut down the day before Christmas Eve, not all hope is lost.  I'm reminded of the lyrics to "Those Who Trust" (Waterdeep).

Those who trust in the Lord
Are a strong mountain
They will not…not be moved

Those who trust in the Lord
Are as Mount Zion
They will not…not be moved

Christ the King, He sets my feet
On a firm foundation
They will not…not be moved

Though the world moves like mad
You alone are faithful
Jesus, you, you will not be changed.

In the craziness of this world, Jesus Christ is the only thing that does not change.  He's the God of this broken city.  This was proved to me at Christmas Eve Church last night.  We weren't meeting in the orignal church building (damaged) but in another church that was nonetheless being held up by several wood beams on the outside.  It was beautiful.  The sun was setting (at 9oclock!).  8000 miles away from home it was God's people coming together to sing the same songs and hear the same story.  The story of a King that came into the world in the humblest way to do the most selfless thing that anyone has ever done for anyone.  That the world be forever changed. 

Christ the Saviour is born, Christ the Saviour is born.

Merry Christmas, dear friends.