Don't settle for the mundane. Search for the holy.

My prayer for you is that you will take time to look beyond the ordinary.

That you will be open to the presence of God. I hope that deep love and the true meaning of Christmas touches you.

In October, I was in the Indian Province of Kerala. I was attending an Assembly of Christians in Asia.

We were being introduced to some aspects of the culture. A local priest encouraged us to greet one another with the phrase “Namaste”.

It comes from Hindu culture. The wider culture has also embraced it. It means, “I bow to the divine in you.” When used by a Christian, it means – I welcome you as one who bears the image of God.

Throughout the course of life, we often look for fulfilment. We might seek love, health, family, wealth, and security.

The faith traditions across the globe encourage us to include spiritual searching. To seek out what gives us meaning, purpose, and connection.

The faith traditions suggest that we add something else. That we only find wholeness or completeness when we engage in a quest for God.

We do some of this when we celebrate the divine life carried by each other.

The bible tells many stories of searching for God. One revolves around some seekers after the truth from the East.

Sometimes they are called kings or wise men. Sometimes they are identified as three men. They were sufficiently important people that the local king was prepared to welcome them. That didn’t happen every day! They were searching for truth by reading the stars.

They had heard a new king had been born and wanted to honour him.

The story goes on that they saw enough evidence to knock on the door of Jesus’ house.

They were welcomed by Mary, his mother. They gave them distinctive gifts and then went home.

Underneath the story we see some things. The visitors from the East devoted part of their lives to seeking truth. They used the tools that were available to them.

They disrupted their ordinary lives as part of their searching. They were generous.

It is easy to get caught up in the mundane rhythms of our lives. Get ready for work. Answer the emails. Cook the dinner. Clean the bathroom.

The greeting ‘Namaste’ challenges us to see something special in the ordinary. To take time to look beyond the everyday. It invites us to move to wonder. “How are you carrying God to me?” “How am I bearing God to you?” “What might God want from us in this encounter?”

The Christian faith teaches that God is love. When we show love for others – we witness to God. Christians understand that God caused all things to exist. God wanted everything to live the life of love.

So, God engaged directly and fully with all he had made. God took on human form. Christians believe that Jesus, born of Mary, was God in human form. Therefore, we look to his teachings for how we should live.

When we try to understand what God is like, we look to the stories of Jesus. We try to become wise searchers in our own time.

I want to share a few moments which have inspired me to wonder this year.

In June, we moved house. We now back on to bush land. Every day we are greeted with a choir of birds.

Their beauty and playfulness are inspiring. Jesus told people to look to be as trusting and carefree as the birds.

I have had the joy of holding a baby a few times in recent weeks. She snuggled, cried, yelled, and smiled. It was a delight to watch her and her mother.

Jesus said that the whole life of God belongs to children.

I sat with some older men who told me some of their life stories. They had both lost their wives during the year.

Each spoke with wisdom about their life. They shared how different it now was. Jesus told us that people who are grieving are close to God’s heart.

My prayer for you is that you will take time to look beyond the ordinary. That you will be open to the presence of God. I hope that deep love and the true meaning of Christmas touches you.

Christians share the confidence that God is always looking to be closer to you. God wishes to bless you.

Bishop Sonia, Bishop Charlie, and our families join me in wishing you all the happiness of Christmas and a new year filled with hope.

Every blessing,

Bishop Peter