The joy of a new baby
Why do people love hearing about a new baby? Last week, when we received news that Denise had become a grandmother again with the arrival of a baby girl, I was filled with joy. This feeling was shared by many, as the messages of congratulation poured in. Last month, we gave thanks for the birth of Rowan, new baby for Natalie and Jack, and there have been other happy announcements from church family members during this lockdown.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,” (Isaiah 9: 6)

I love the way some newborns appear all wrinkled and wizened like a wise old man. I love the way newborns smile in their sleep. I love the way newborns snuffle as they breathe. A new baby is a living miracle of new life. Babies are pure and innocent beings (some parents may disagree), untainted by the ways of the world. A new baby is bursting with potential, all the amazing things that he or she may do or become. But at the same time, human babies are vulnerable beings, unable to fend for themselves and totally dependent on others. Above all, a new baby represents hope for the future and a ray of light in the darkness.

700 years before it took place, Isaiah foretold the birth of Jesus, the most well-known baby in the Bible. The prophet declared, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;” (Isaiah 9: 2–3). This light in the darkness would be a child who would be the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Saviour of the World.

These lockdown days of worry and fear can feel like a gloomy time with nothing to look forward to. But these new babies are a reflection of the light that shone from the greatest baby ever born, a clear reminder that God is with us. May God bless all our new “Cathays babies” and let us give thanks for the hope and joy they bring us.

First written 10 October 2020
['Eleanor Hewett']
['Joy', 'Isaiah', 'Christianity', 'Baby', 'Newborn']