Christmas body language

A few days ago, someone from church mentioned to me that at the church's Christmas Market event I'd been noticed standing with my arms folded.  Body language experts would no doubt say that having one's arms folded gives a signal that you are "closed" to other people and that you not wanting to engage in conversations etc.  

I was quite surprised to learn that I'd had my arms folded, because ever since I heard a friend some years ago talking about the body language implications of folding one's arms, I've tried to avoid doing so.  It's not always easy, because sometimes folding my arms, especially when sitting and relaxing, seems to be the most natural and comfortable thing to so.  Having said that, I certainly don't want to convey an unspoken message that I want to close myself off from others.

Having set off down the track of thinking about body language, my mind went back much further to the time when I was training for the Methodist ministry.  One of our lecturers, who was a kind and gentle man, was extremely soporific in delivery.  I vividly recall a particular lecture he gave on the subject of body language.  As I struggled to stay awake (I think it was an after-lunch session), I glanced round the room, and noticed that most of my fellow students appeared to be in various stages of stupor.  I wondered whether the dear old lecturer was able to read our body language!

I read recently an autobiographical work by the late crime writer P.D. James.  In the book, she writes quite openly about her Christian faith, and of regularly attending church, but she states that her image of God was of someone who is remote and unknowable.  To put words into her mouth, she saw God as an "arms folded" figure.

The wonderful Christmas story reveals very clearly that is God is not like that at all.  One of the names given to Jesus is "Immanuel", which means "God with us."  As the gospel writer John puts it, 'And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us.'  God stepped into our world - he became one of us!  The good news is that God is not remote, far away, or disinterested.  He is one who promises that when we open our lives to him and put our faith in the one who was born 2000+ years ago in Bethlehem, he comes to make his home in our hearts through his Spirit.

The glorious good news of Christmas is that through all the ups and downs and joys and sorrows of life, we have one who will never leave us or forsake us.  So let's celebrate!