Today is the first Sunday in Advent, so perhaps it’s appropriate to share an unusual Advent songBehold, written and sung by Jeremy & Adie Camp’s children, Bella & Aerie. It’s probably not surprising that when music features so heavily in a family’s life, children imitate what they hear on an everyday basis, but the purity of children’s voices always makes Christmas songs poignant. As we prepare to celebrate the arrival of Jesus as a vulnerable, innocent baby, it’s time to ‘let every heart prepare Him room.’ (‘Joy To The World’)

‘Behold!’ is an old-fashioned word which means more than simply to look at or see; it means pay close attention to and to observe carefully. We need to look carefully beyond the glitz of decorations and the commercialisation of Christmas to the heart of Christmas. There is a campaign called ‘Christmas Starts With Christ’ whose vision is for the message ‘Christmas starts with Christ’ to be visible in the busyness of the season, to act as a reminder that although there are many ways that we mark the celebration, Christ is the true meaning. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Christmas jumpers, mince pies, Christmas trees and Christmas markets… but for Christ to be at the centre of our Christmas, we do have to pause and ‘behold’ the One whose coming in poverty, obscurity and vulnerability can easily get forgotten in the busyness of shopping, cooking, decorating and working. May we ever be mindful of that tiny baby who changed the world, who is also the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

behold