By Pastor Braylon Harris

In a world filled with political, cultural, racial, and religious divisions among others, none will ever be greater than the divide that once existed between divinity and humanity.

I mean, who goes 400 years without speaking?

Yet, over 2,000 years ago, our Holy God renewed his desperate pursuit of his hellbent creation. Running to redeem them, He ran clean out of eternity and into time, grabbing a coat of flesh to wrap himself in as he headed out the door.

Out of the warmth of heavenly glory into the earthly chill of man’s story, he came.

Breaking the silence, bridging the gap, and setting the best example for us to follow.

A baby, born to a virgin, lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothing.

Bringing good tidings of great joy.

The unthinkable, the undeserved, EMMANUEL — God with us.

This God-Man, Jesus of Nazareth, would go on to heal the sick, raise the dead, make the lame to walk and the dumb to talk.

None of which was his greatest work nor His true purpose for coming.

Those were but temporary gifts, the one He truly came to give would be an eternal one.

What could it be?

The apostle Paul attempts to describe it this way,

“He who knew no sin, was made sin, so that we through Him, might become the righteousness of God.”

“God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us…”

What an indescribable gift! Its called reconciliation! The act of resolving one’s differences as to restore a more desirable state of harmony and friendship.

“… and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.”

However, as a physical manifestation of a divine revelation, we must also seek to bridge the shorter distances and divides that exist between one another.

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to so love one another”

There is someone in all of our lives that needs the present of your presence wrapped in the spirit of reconciliation and tied with a bow of grace.

Believe it or not, you are the gift someone needs.

Do they deserve it? Maybe not. Do they need it? Absolutely!

People need people more than products.

Now let me be clear, all of our gifts and attempts of reconciliation will not be readily accepted. Some will doubt and others will outright disrespect our efforts.

Be not dismayed, Christ knows that feeling all to well as many have yet to accept him.

Yet we are reminded by his life that we don’t do right because it is easy or lovely, but that we are to do right because it is right and we leave the results up to God.

So this Christmas, for Christ’s sake, let’s all give the gift of reconciliation.

Simply put, the challenge I charge all of us to take this Christmas is to:

Go break the silence.

Go bridge the gap.

Go be more like Christ!

Merry Christmas.

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Braylon Harris serves as senior pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Lake Charles. He is also executive director of

SWLA Responds. Email him at braylon@swlaresponds.org.