A thought for Christmas:
I'm sure I'm not alone among former UBF members in this. The image of that child lying in a manger reminds me of why I am still a Christian after living through most of the 1990s in quiet anger and frustration in UBF. Jesus is the reason why I am still a Christian. In that manger I see no trace of self-aggrandizement, no ambition, no desire for men's praise, honor or power. In that manger I see a prelude to a life marked by an out-of-this-world humbleness and meekness. And there is strength in that meekness, strength to draw those who have been wounded, discarded, disillusioned, the ordinary, the nobodies, those on the junk heap, the non-"leadership material," the lost. And in that meekness is forgiveness, acceptance and love with no performance-preoccupation strings attached. In Him I see what God really is like, and it is so different from the picture of God painted by "God's servants." The acts of those who never knew Him and who were nothing like Him do not diminish Him. I believe in Him. I utterly depend on Him. All I want is Him. Thank you, Lord Jesus. I am still a Christian.
