The word “wonder” is not commonly used these days. Perhaps it’s because most people, especially adults, have lost their sense of wonder. Wonder is defined as a feeling of surprise or astonishment; something that excites such a feeling; to be curious; to speculate; to marvel. And it is the root word of the word, “wonderful”.
When was the last time you used that word (wonderful)? If your answer is “I can’t remember.”, then perhaps it’s time for you to reflect and ponder at the wonder of the world you live in, the life you have, and the people around you. What makes something wonderful? In this yuletide season, it is little children who are often star-struck with the idea of Christmas – Santa Claus, gifts, food, and all the things associated with Christmas nowadays. But over time, this sense of wonder seems to fade as one matures with age. So the question is, what is left of us adults to wonder about Christmas?
In the nativity story, the shepherds (working class) and the wise men (the elite) were both struck in awe and wonder at the sight of the baby Jesus lying on a manger. If that happened in 2014, would busy working men and men of high rank and nobility respond the same? Think about it. And if you saw what they saw, would you react in a similar fashion? So what is the wonder of Christmas? Perhaps the answer to this is the heart motive of God in sending his only son, Jesus to become a mortal man so He could reach out to us and bring us a gift of hope in Christ the Savior. Because Christmas is more than just a time of giving. It is God’s eternal plan. And in this season, we can have a sense of wonder at the most wonderful gift of God to man: Himself.