Why Christmas is the reminder we need that God is with us
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2016 has been one of the hardest years in recent memory. It feels like its been 365 days of division, spitefulness, and horrific, evil acts that have revealed the darkest depths of humanity. From mass executions in Libya, the growing strength of terrorist groups such as ISIS, and shootings in Orlando, Paris, and other places, this has been a year of tragedy and suffering.
That's why this year, more than ever, we need to recognize and draw strength from the real purpose of Christmas. That God has not forgotten us, that he sent his only Son to show us the way, that salvation is possible for all of us through His love.
For many of us, Christmas is an annual "polite” celebration. We know it commemorates the birth of Christ, we know it is a celebration of family and gratitude, but we know these things in a remote and perfunctory sense.
Even ignoring all the usual gripes about commercialism and the hijacking of the season for the benefit of selling gizmos and uncomfortable sweaters, when was the last time you were truly moved by Christmas? I'll be honest, most years I go to church for the Christmas Eve sermon, listen to the same passages I've heard so many times before, and chuckle to myself when, inevitably, they have to swap out the bawling "baby Jesus” for a doll half-way through the reenactment.
This year though, I plan to focus on what is truly important. When things are going smoothly, when other years don't offer the same parade of seemingly daily atrocities, it's easy to lose ourselves in the pageantry of the season. But, past all the familiar hymns, the costumed presentations, and other trappings, Christmas is a story about everlasting love, about God's unwavering presence in our lives, and the power of Faith. That's the message I need, that we all need, to focus on this year.
When we feel abandoned, when we look at the darkness of the world and worry about the direction things around going in, we need to remember – God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to us, knowing exactly what that meant. Jesus entered our world to strip away the institutions of the tabernacle, to become the direct avenue to salvation and allow man to have a one-on-one relationship with God. The story of Christmas reminds us how close God is, so long as we are looking for Him.
When Mary and Joesph were confused and frightened about what was happening, about their new roles as human parents for the Son of Christ, about what their situation looked like to society at large, it was their faith that sustained them.
Mary and Joesph weren't cartoon characters with saintly hoods and a funny walking stick, they were real people, with real doubts and fears. But they didn't let those fears and doubts get the best of them, they reflected on their situation, Mary pondered everything the angels told her, she processed what was weighting on her and trusted in the Lord to keep her new family safe and well. That is an attitude we would all do well to emulate now.
We've faced heartbreaking tragedies this year, but the birth of Christ is still a powerful symbol of hope. Even in the darkest days, we can look to the miracle of the Virgin birth and the supreme act of sacrifice and love committed by Jesus as a shinning light - an eternal star in the sky, guiding us forward.
Don't absorb Christmas quietly and politely this year. Celebrate it, contemplate it, learn from it.
