Where is Jesus in the Christmas Market
Christmas Markets are a great European tradition
This week’s blog is from travel writer Gordon Lethbridge (www.travelunpacked.co.uk) and is reposted here for Christmas 2017 as the message is always relevant.
At this time of year across Europe the squares of major cities are filled with Christmas markets. As a travel writer, I am privileged to have visited a number of them. I have been to Christmas markets from Nice in the south of France to Copenhagen in Denmark but one of my favourites is the Christmas market in Salzburg, Austria. The stalls are set up, as they have been for hundreds of years, in front of the Dom or Cathedral.
The evening I was there it was snowing gently. All the stalls were festooned with lights creating a romantic atmosphere. Delicious aromas of spices, fresh baked cookies, gingerbread filled the air. There were gorgeous handmade crafts for sale alongside decorations, food and Gluwhein. Families were out wrapped up against the cold and somewhere a band was playing.
Jesus Christ at the centre of Christmas
I wandered through this festive scene towards the cathedral and the centre of the market. Right in front of the cathedral’s massive doors was a scene depicting a stable with the Christmas family, shepherds, three kings along with a number of animals who made the stable their home. Right at the centre of the scene was a crib with Baby Jesus in the hay. Jesus, at the centre of the scene, at the centre of the market. I thought to myself that is exactly where He should be… at the centre of Christmas.
Several years ago I took the decision to let Jesus be central to my life and not just my Christmas and I think my life has been richer as a result. Have you made Jesus the centre of your Christmas and your life? It is, after all, His birthday. Why not make that decision today and give it a try?
