Christmas: A Celebration of the Unseen
When God became an unborn child in the womb of a teenage girl.
As we draw closer to Christmas, many of us are swept up in the festivities of shopping, decorating our homes, and freshening up the guest room. All of these things are right and good, but I want to take a moment to consider a dimension of the Christmas story that’s often overlooked:
God’s heart for unseen.
When the Son of God became man, he didn’t become a man. At least, not right away. He became a tiny embryo, less than one-twenty-fifth of an inch long, in the womb of an unwed teenage girl in Israel.
He was the weakest of the weak; the smallest of the small; unknown, unseen, and unnoticeable.
Like her unborn baby, Mary too was young and vulnerable. Even today, in 2022, teenage girls aren’t always valued let alone respected. When corporate advertisers see a teenage girl, they see someone with little experience and her daddy’s credit card. When wicked people see a teenage girl, they see someone to take advantage of and harm. Teenage girls around Mary’s age make up a large percentage of human trafficking and abuse victims.
But God saw Mary and he treasured her. In fact, he honored her. She was not an object to him. She was not someone to use or manipulate. She was not inferior or disposable.
When Gabriel visited Mary, he told her, ““Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.” When Mary reacted in fear, the angel comforted her, saying, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
Unseen and undervalued in a world full of sin and misplaced priorities, this teenage girl from Nazareth was “highly favored” by the Ruler of the Universe. The Creator who orchestrates galaxies saw Mary, valued her, and blessed her.
So, how can this inform our celebration at Christmas? As we gather to worship God on Christmas morning, as we watch our children tear into gift after gift under the tree, how do we model the priorities of our Creator?
One simple way is by showing love and honor to the unseen; by protecting and defending the weak and the vulnerable. Those unborn babies, those little boys and girls, those teenage kids at your church and in your neighborhood – let them know, and let their parents know, that they are greatly valued and loved by God.
With all this in mind, I am very pleased to announce that I have been elected to the Advisory Board of the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention (ECAP). Our goal is to provide education, accreditation, and practical resources to Christian organizations with a heart to serve kids and protect the vulnerable.
You can read more about ECAP and our accreditation program here: