A missionary cleverly disguised as a banker

One of my baseball teammates at Vanderbilt, Ed White, is now a prominent banker in Nashville. Each year, he sends a Christmas letter to his employees. I've posted it here as an example of what it means to be a "missionary cleverly disguised as a banker."

How might you leverage your position - your job - to share the best news ever?

***

Christmas Blessing 2017

“Mary did you know that your Baby Boy

Would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy

Would save our sons and daughters?

Mary did you know that your Baby Boy

has walked where Angels tread?

When you kiss your little Baby,

You kiss the face of God?”

Those who know me well know that I am a lover of many kinds of music from Fleetwood Macto Bruce Springsteen to U2 to Coldplay to Mumford and Sons; The Spinners; The Temptations and many more.  However, there are only two songs that after listening to them probably 50 times each, tears still cover my eyes.  The two songs are “Mary Did You Know?” by Mark Lowry and “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me.  Needless to say “Mary Did You Know?” has a very special place for the Christmas season.

For Christians, the common greeting during this season is typically “Merry Christmas”.  However, as one contemplates the very first Christmas, things for Mary and Joseph were anything but “Merry” or “Jolly”.  Mary and Joseph-engaged to be married-were ridiculed by those in their village for a pregnancy before they were married.  They endured all types of trauma as they walked through these  days; Joseph ,  initially full of confusion and dismay as his soon to be wife was pregnant and knowing that he had never slept with here.  Money was tight, options for the birth itself were limited; such that  as they sought out a place for themselves  they were told by the innkeeper  that there was no room in the inn and were forced to stay in a dirty stable.

Dirty animals; a lowly manger; coming to us in poverty; soon to be hunted by King Herod’s men as a baby to be killed. This was certainly not the picture of “ Merry “ as we perceive Christmas .  As he grew into a young boy, a teenager; and then to a young man, Jesus was bullied; verbally abused; falsely accused of wrongdoing; and ultimately put to death after a sham prosecution.  As Jesus, God allows Himself out of love for you and me  to endure all the tribulations of a man’s life; poverty as a lifestyle ; hated by many out of ignorance and as described above , the  bullying and ridicule culminating in false accusations leading to death in a most torturous manner.

The birth of the baby Jesus is what we celebrate as Christmas and certainly worthy of great celebration, but let us not limit our celebration to that world changing event in the manger but continue through the steps which God our Holy Father-so desires  for us to take.  The baby Jesus was the ultimate gift for us to celebrate and receive as God’s gift of Jesus was in fact that of Himself designed for ALL people; to save sinners-all and any who genuinely come to Him ,  even the foremost of sinners, asking Him to be their Lord and Savior.  

This gift of reunion in purity with our Creator and Holy Father- a gift that cannot be earned by “good works”- for how many are enough ?  The gift comes through Grace from our loving God who wants to share the grandeur of eternity in Heaven with us.  That is what Christmas is truly about.  We were not designed by God to live 60-70-80 years; we are much more valuable than that to Him - we are made by a  God who desires  for us to live forever with Him.

Because of Jesus, one day when our heart ceases to beat on Earth, it does not need to be our end.  Through Jesus’ birth and His sacrifice on the cross, by asking Him to be our Lord, we can live  for eternity consummating  God’s desire for us  to be a part of His family forever.  Jesus’ purpose at birth was to die on the cross for you and me in excruciating pain; the feeling of total abandonment; and the full burden of all our sins placed squarely on His shoulders.  God’s answer to all the evil in the world-past; present; and future-all the pain and heartache we endure  was Himself in full human form-the baby Jesus.  For you and me , Jesus is actually the birth of HOPE, in fact for me the only true form of HOPE to which to totally ascribe  in a position of total faith; love; and trust.

As viciously as he tried, King Herod could not destroy Jesus as there can only be and will only be one King – Jesus, Son of God.  That absolute truth should give us all hope and comfort.  Jesus would say in John 14:6-“I am the way; the truth; and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me.”  The word “the” is stated with purpose and emphasis, representing one and only one way.

As a first century Middle Eastern man; mothered by a teenage girl who had never been with a man, Jesus came into this world in extreme poverty/ in  a small obscure village called Nazareth - truly an underdog in His society who would soon mesmerize even the wisest of the wise with His divinely inspired teaching ;  having been surrounded by miracles (the first being the virgin birth); performing Himself unexplainable healings and miracles witnessed by the masses and ultimately the miracle of physical bodily resurrection.

And one  day Jesus will return in great magnificence; in great power; to be seen and undoubtedly known by all as  King and Lord and Ruler of this world - taking back His normal and appointed place.  Today we live in a cultural moment of extreme gravity and even strirring of significant evil.  The world is unstable-financially; politically, morally. However , Christmas is that event through which HOPE sufficient to endure and ultimately overcome all these  challenges ; disappointments ; traumas ; and even tragedies . With almost 1,200 people in our firm , as a family we have experienced great joys and blessings and without doubt we have also seen great hardships ; disappointments ; family traumas ; significant health challenges ; and even death . For all who have experienced  or  at present are  experiencing these challenges , please know that Jesus came for you – pleading  that you  flee into His open arms desiring to embrace and comfort you .

The true story of this season is that Jesus entered this world and He overcame the world.  For us this Christmas, let us not confuse  the  “moment” of the world with the reality and beauty of this story-Christ has come to live with us; He loves us; He wants us to be with Him forever; He ultimately gave His own life for us; and one day when least expected will return in indescribable brilliance to Earth .  He came into the world  ultimately to redeem it and He has done so.  He, and He alone, is HOPE ETERNAL.

“Mary did you know that your Baby Boy

Is the Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know that your Baby Boy

Would one day rule all the nations?

Did you know that your Baby Boy

Is Heaven’s perfect lamb?

The sleeping child you’re holding

Is the Great I am.

Mary did you know?

I pray for each of you a blessed and Merry Christmas and that you and I know; accept; and claim this most wonderful truth.

            Merry Christmas-God Bless

                         Ed White