Last weekend, winds of at least 225 km/h from Cyclone devastated the isolated French overseas département of Mayotte, leaving an estimated 100,000 people without shelter or water and hundreds, possibly thousands, dead. Mayotte is small, 374 km2 which is less than 20km x 20km, and home to about 320,000 residents.
Mayotte is where my friend Galeb and his family and his sister Widaad, who came to PCC while she was here in New Zealand for a few months in 2014. The good news is they’re all ok and their homes. The bad news is that with a 1/3 of the island now homeless and basic utilities badly damaged, it’s going to be a while before life returns to normal.
Mayotte is the poorest of all the French départements, a far cry from the splendour of the Palace in Paris where the President of France lives. To his credit, President Emmanuel Macron made a visit to Mayotte this week and vowed to help with the rebuild. But he blew it when during his visit, Macron swore at the residents of Mayotte on Thursday night, telling a jeering crowd “If it wasn’t for France, you’d be 10,000 times deeper in s**t.”
Emmanuel means God with us. The true Emmanuel is Jesus not the one at the Palace de l’Élysée. Jesus left his throne in Heaven to come down to the Earth, not for a fleeting 2 day visit to tell us we’re nobodies without him but to be born in poverty and live his life amongst ordinary folk, not expecting any special privileges for the King he is. And eventually to give his life for all of us, so that we might find forgiveness for our sins and gain citizenship to live with him in Heaven.
There is so much to reflect on in the Christmas story.
Why the little town of Bethlehem and not the capital Jerusalem? Because that was the royal city where King David was born. The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. Great things come from small beginnings.
Why the shepherds? Because Israel was being led by bad shepherds, the Good Shepherd came to the good shepherds doing their job out in the fields.
Why the swaddling clothes? To show he was one of us, just like all the other babies, wrapped in swaddling clothes to stop him moving about. He is Emmanuel, God with us.
Why the manger? Because there was no room at the inn. So many people don’t have room for Jesus. To show he was ready to go lower than us, to eat with us, to commune with us. He is the Servant King, telling us to take his yoke upon us because he is gentle and lowly of heart.
Jesus says to each one us today;
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
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