Advent & Christmas Reflections
Christmas has always carried more than one kind of memory for me.
There is the wonder of the story itself: God stepping into ordinary life, not with noise or spectacle, but through a young woman, a borrowed place, shepherds, waiting, obedience and promise.
There are also the memories we bring to it. Family. Loss. Addiction. Hope. The years when Christmas felt warm, the years when it did not, and the strange way old seasons can return when a song, a smell or a familiar story opens the door again.
These reflections sit somewhere in that space. They are not really about making Christmas more sentimental. They are about looking again at the incarnation and noticing how much of God’s work happens in ordinary places, through ordinary people, while most of the world carries on around them.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…”
John 1:14 (NKJV)
Where to Begin
The Wonder of Christmas: When God Took His First Breath is probably the clearest place to begin if you want the theological heart of this section: the sheer strangeness and beauty of God entering the world as one of us.
The Ghost of Christmas Past is different. It was the first Window Seat piece I wrote, and Christmas became the doorway into memory, addiction, faith and the wider story that followed.
A Winter’s Tale sits between those two worlds, where Christmas memory and recovery meet.
Christmas Without the Gloss
I love the wonder of Christmas, but I am less interested in polishing the story until nobody recognises real life in it.
The first Christmas held uncertainty, displacement, waiting, political power, ordinary work, costly obedience and people trying to make sense of what God was doing. That is part of what makes it hopeful. Emmanuel does not mean God visited an ideal world. It means God came into this one.
Advent & Christmas Writing
- The Wonder of Christmas: When God Took His First Breath
Christmas draws me in because of the sheer wonder woven through the story — not sentiment, not scenery,… Read more: The Wonder of Christmas: When God Took His First Breath - A winter’s tale
Follow Stuart’s poignant journey from the depths of addiction to the hope of redemption. On a Christmas marked by personal turmoil, Stuart confronts his demons and embarks on a path of transformation. This tale weaves together memories of simpler times with the stark reality of his struggles, illustrating the power of family, hope, and healing. Join Stuart as he navigates the complexities of life, rediscovering the true spirit of Christmas and the possibility of change. A story of resilience, ‘Finding Hope’ is a testament to the enduring human spirit.” - 1 – The ghost of Christmas’ past (1977, 1993, 1997)
Once Christmas meant simple joys: snow, toys, family laughter. Then came silence, addiction, and lost faith. But the story doesn’t end there — this is not only the ghost of Christmas past, but the foundation for recovery and redemption.”
Browse the full Advent & Christmas archive
If you want to keep exploring, you might also like Theology & Bible, Window Seat or Creative Writing.
