Once again Christmas and its “trimmings” are behind us (except of course for the imminent, looming credit card bills). I hope yours was a more COVID-free holiday than the past two Christmases, allowing you to celebrate more “normally.”
I am assuming most of us – at least most of you who are reading this – are rather fond of Christmas, and for all kinds of reasons: oodles of food, presents, family gatherings, candy, Christmas banquets/parties, cookies, special worship services, hockey game teddy-bear tosses, decorations, Santa Claus parades, Christmas music, etc.
Seems to me one big reason we enjoy Christmas so much is that most of us put quite a bit of (and some of us puts tons of) effort into preparing for it. Such “investment” of our time, energy and money usually means we are more inclined to experience great joy and delight as a ‘return’ on that investment.
But it wouldn’t be near as much fun if we were doing it by ourselves. Super Bowl Sunday is a bore if one is watching the game home alone – but a hoot whether you like football or not when you’re with lots of others at a Super Bowl party. Our experience is amplified when we have a sense that our preparations and celebrations are shared by others, and in the case of Christmas, by millions of others in our communities and country and around the world.
Christmas indeed enriches our lives with many blessings and encouragements. It strengthens our families and whatever other group we celebrate it with – workplaces, friends, schools, communities, churches.
So Christmas is special to us because of the shared preparations and celebrations, but I think even moreso on account of the story at the heart of Christmas.
Certainly this is true for Christians who believe they are celebrating the birth of Jesus their Saviour and Lord at Christmas. True, the majority of Christmas celebraters don’t openly profess such a belief, yet it seems the Christmas story with all of its mystical elements – angel visitations, ordinary engaged couple, virgin conception, birth among the animals, shepherds and angel choir, star and Magii, flight to Egypt, killing of the innocents – still has appeal and power.
Remember the legendary animated A Charlie Brown Christmas TV program? Charlie Brown gets more and more frustrated with the Christmas celebrations around him and how mean kids are treating one another. After everyone laughs derisively at his “stupid” choice of a Christmas tree, he cries out in despair “I guess I really don’t know what Christmas is all about. Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
Who can forget how Linus steps forward to say “Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about” and then recounts the Christmas story:
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”.
Then Linus concludes “That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.”
I dare say many of those who think this Christmas story is entirely mythical in its details nevertheless find Linus’ story telling strangely captivating and inspiring, and deep down wish it were true.
Who would not wish that there is a loving creator God who:
– cares about His children and wants to save them from their suffering and brokenness;
– would send His only Son to be born and raised by peasant parents;
– announces this great event not to the hoity-toity but to plain country shepherds;
– declares that His desire for people is peace and good will?
It is indeed an alluring story providing underlying depth and meaning to our Christmas celebrations even if subconsciously so. And to those who say it can’t be true – can you tell a story that is more true?
And what if it were/is true? And why couldn’t it be? Folks who maintain that “miracles” such as those in the Christmas story do not and can not happen, fail to recognize that they are as unable to prove their denying “statement of faith” as believers are to prove their believing “statement of faith.”
Our dearest beliefs and values – love, commitment, babies, God, kindness, generosity, etc. – are rarely scientifically arrived at or verifiable.
Maybe the “truth” of the Christmas story will become more evident if we let it simply speak for itself and enter into our hearts and minds and bodies. After all what story has profoundly changed more lives in the past 2,000 years than this one?