Life December 2020

Did Jesus social distance ?
When Jesus was entertained in the home of a tax
collector, when he touched the leper, when he
asked the Samaritan woman for a drink, he broke
the conventions of his day.
He bridged all divides, crossed all boundaries and
smashed all taboos.
If that’s the case, what would Jesus do today in
a world of Covid 19? Would he socially distance?
Would he wear a mask? Would he visit a Care
Home? Would he use hand sanitiser? Would he
keep two metres apart? I think the answer to all
those questions, strange though it sounds, is
probably, yes, he would.
For each of them is an expression of the primary
motivation of Christ’s life - to reveal the love of
God to a broken world. So it’s love that both wears
a mask, washes hands, visits the vulnerable and
yet remains at a safe distance.
In this extraordinary time of pandemic, as
disciples of Jesus, we are called to practice
the meaning of sacrificial, selfless love. And
Christmas is an especially relevant time for that.
For there is a bigger picture. The one drawn by the
truth of the incarnation which we celebrate over
the coming weeks. In order to save the world from
its brokenness, Jesus left the glory of heaven. By
entering His creation, the divine Son spanned the
greatest distance of them all.
More than that. Jesus, the morally perfect Son
of God went to the cross to bear the sin-virus
of humanity. By his cross and resurrection he
produced a once -for- all vaccine over death.
So as we find creative, compassionate ways to
celebrate this socially distanced Christmas like no
other, there is good news of great joy for all the
people.
Peter Baker | Senior Minister