Romans 12:12-13, ejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

What word represents Christmas? For some, it is about peace and a spirit of goodwill to one and all. For others, it is about Jesus, God incarnate. For a few, it is about a renewed hope in the darkess time of the calendar year, and a dark time in the history of Israel under the hands of the Romans. The religious leaders demanded a heavy hand of the religious laws. The political rulers were playing politics and in a power struggle with the Romans. It was in this historical, political, and social context that Jesus was born.

No one has ever seen God, said the Pastor, yet believed by faith. It may have been true 2000 years ago, but the birth of Jesus have made the face of God human. And it was a very different from what was expected, a ruler in a white horse destroying the Roman armies! Yet, Jesus did not raise one finger against the Romans, but his greatest angst were against the self-righteous Jewish religious leaders who were quick to judge others for their sins and demanded firm adherence to the law.

With the birth of Jesus Christ, mankind has finally seen God in person, and today He lives in our heart if we truly believe in Him by faith. We have seen God, not in flesh for we live in a different era, but no less real, in the Spirit. God becomes real to us in Christ, a King, a friend, a brother, a Saviour – giving us hope to live again in this world and the hope of eternity one day in heaven.

We have made too much out of reconciliation of faith and sexual orientation, and quickly package it as a journey that will take us further to minister to the rest of the marginalised, or to evangelise to the GLBT community. We will end up being the lone voice crying Jesus loves me this I know in the gay ghettos for few would listen to us. If we were more inclined to a liberal tradition, we will end up the few who minister perhaps to the foreign workers. Our churches would not grow and soon we too will leave the church.

We are looking for the same type of churches whence we came from except being inclusive and supportive of our same sex orientation. But this is never going to be enough. The GLBT Christians are looking for hope in a hopeless situation where the laws of the land limits their basic rights, and they suffer condemnation and persecution. They have lost much. Their families may have rejected them, and their future look bleak with no family to support them when they grow old.

We are looking for peace, joy and Hope rather that doing any good works because so much has been denied us.

We may not be interested in continuing on the good works as the straight churches do – in the ministry of evangelism or in helping the outcasts and the poor. There is no point when there is no hope in our lives, for even the poor has much more rights than us. Indeed, many gay children are poor and needy being kicked out of their homes by their parents in the US. Why do we preach the Gospel of the Good news, when the Christian church itself which represents Jesus has been the main antagonist against gays?

During this Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ should give us Hope. This Hope is in the boy child Jesus Christ. When we see a baby, we see the hope of the great potential in that child, to be a world changer and to be a blessing to the lives of many. The hope is carried with the child. So is the Hope carried by Jesus Christ this Christmas.

We need hope to believe again what God is doing and can do in our lives. Hope for a better future, hope for freedom and peace where we can have our own family. We longed to enjoy our lives with our partner yet we know the reality that there are few places that recognise gay rights let alone gay marriage. We are in despair with our hope and future taken away from us. We cry to God but see the very cruel hand of His church coming against us.

May the Christ of hope gives us peace, joy and Hope during this Christmas season. Where there is no hope for the future, there is no power for the present. We have no power to do the ministry of Christ be it preaching the Gospel message of the Good News to the GLBT community or supporting those who are afflicted by AIDS.

Without hope, we can’t give others hope. With the incredible turmoil and persecution in our lives, we are seeking for that inner peace and joy and hope for the future when the outside situation looks bleak. Our rights are taken away and gays are put in prisons. We are looking for a tangible manifestation of Christ in our lives, no longer just a prophetic hope for the coming of the Messiah, but we want to see the baby Jesus, our hope for redemption.

Without hope we can’t face and conquer the future. What is the Hope that Christ gives us? That He will be with us, and be our friend, our guide and finally when all things are over, our hope never fails because Jesus is our Hope of redemption in heaven. God is for us, and not against us.

Whatever lot we have on this earth, we will one day be with Jesus in heaven. We have the ultimate redemption even though our lives on earth may not be doing as good as we may have wanted it. One day our struggles will be over, and we will finally be Home and be at rest with Jesus in heaven.

During this Christmas season, as we behold Christ, He becomes our Hope for God is a good God and His heart is to give us a good future, a good partner, a family, a roof over our head, and having no lack in all that we do. Don’t lose Hope, for your salvation is near. And remember, God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good. And this dependency is found in a continuous attitude of prayer of remembering Christ in our lives. Jesus Christ is very near to us in prayer.

May God bless you abundantly over this Christmas, and may Christ, our Hope of glory gives us hope for today, tomorrow and for eternity. Be steadfast in prayer, trusting in God for your salvation and hope fulfilled is near and coming. Amen.