Right in the centre - Titles are important
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- Published on Friday, December 16, 2022
By Ken Waddell
Neepawa Banner & Press
Every one has a title. A title, while it may not be of the royal kind, is important. As I was trying to fall asleep one night recently, I whimsically started to think of some titles I have.
To one long suffering woman, it is husband or occasionally love. To two men who are now edging into middle age, my title is dad. They may have other occasional titles for me but are polite enough to not utter them within my earshot. To four grandchildren who are all in their 20s, I am grandpa and to three little boys, I am great-grandpa.
To some of my closer Filipino friends, I have been called Sir Ken. To a number of people, I am simply Mr. Waddell, but I am not sure why the mister part. To most people, I am simply Ken. To a few, I am Mr. Editor and I am sure to a few I am, “that idiot that writes in the paper.”
Titles can range from affectionate to reverent to frivolous but they are all descriptive and define how people are perceived.
As the Christmas season approaches, there is one title we should all desire and that is Child of God or Christ Follower. Jesus came to earth over 2,000 years ago as a baby, born in a manger at Bethlehem, the Son of God and born to the Virgin Mary.
It isn’t spoken of as often today but we are born into and live in a fallen world, a broken world. If ever it should be spoken of and be more obvious, we are in a fallen world today. We need only to look around our own little world, and then look afar, and see that brokenness is everywhere. It’s in my life, your life, our country, the world, the entertainment and media business. It’s everywhere.
That’s why the song says, “Go tell it on the mountain and everywhere that Jesus Christ is born”. Jesus is the answer to the brokenness. Wherever brokenness prevails, the answer is Jesus.
God made the world perfect. He created mankind and they were instructed to not break his one and only rule but they did. The results of our broken world is everywhere and we are under constant bombardment from it and in many cases, instead of resisting it, we openly embrace it. Not going to make a list here, everyone can make their own and they will likely be pretty accurate.
God didn’t just leave us to wallow, but we often do. He knew we needed to be saved and so he sent his only son, Jesus, as a baby, to be that Saviour.
Two thousand years ago, the Jews were looking for a political saviour and we wish we had one today. Alas, not many politicians have achieved that position. Some good leaders perhaps but few saviours. The Jews tried to make Jesus a political saviour, a king to lead them out of Roman bondage but that wasn’t his God-assigned role. Jesus role is best summed up in the Bible in John 3:16”, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.
There are many books and chapters in the Bible that are both helpful and confusing but none are more clear than the quote above.
Scholars, churches, denominations and individuals have at times confused and twisted the many stories and accounts in the Bible. The words have been both interpreted and twisted to make rules, many of which made no sense and served no good purpose. On many occasions, traditions have developed but unless tradition shines a light on the truth, it is of no value.
The basic story about Christmas, Jesus born as a baby in a manger to be our Saviour, is a great tradition as it shines a light on the truth.
So, this Christmas, enjoy the traditions of the season but remember the main one. If you have accepted Jesus as your Saviour or if you do this season, then you will have received that most important title, Child of God or Christ Follower.
Merry Christmas and God’s blessing to you and yours.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the writer’s personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the Banner & Press staff.
