Hello Church,
Christmas is polarizing. The excited become very excited and the sad become very sad. One might find a few that are apathetic to Christmas, but I doubt that there are even as many as there claim to be. Christmas evokes emotion of one sort or another. For some it recalls that nightmarish day when Dad made one sit on Santa's lap. For others, it recalls that day when one finally got to sit on Santa's lap and tell him everything!
We miss loved ones or we embrace loved ones. We look forward to company or we dread the loneliness of a full room of people. We gladly put up the 47 year-old Christmas ornament or we lament how much better things were 47 years ago.
Christmas is polarizing. I suggest it should be, but not as we typically treat it. Christmas should be polarizing in the divine sense. Jesus is coming. That should be very exciting for some and very sad for others.
For the oppressed and diseased and poor and down-trodden, the revelation of Christ brings an eminent sense of hope out of a life filled with despair. For the powerful and egotists and narcissistic rulers of this world, the revelation of Christ brings them insignificant existences. Jesus levels the playing field for all to see and experience.
I hope you can hold on to the true polarization of Christmas. If you are insistent on making Christmas about you, then you will be surprised to find out that it is not about you. It could make you sad. But if you allow Christmas to be about Christ.... then... well....
....sitting on Santa's lap--be it wonderful or traumatic--isn't nearly as glorious as sitting with a Savior. Missing loved ones isn't as problematic when we discover that Christ re-unites you with them. And 47 years ago.... as good as it may have been... isn't comparable to how good it will be that one day in the future when the angels sing and the heavenly gates open.
Let Christmas be about Jesus this year. Sit still and let Him happen.
Be at Peace,
Pastor Joe
No comments:
Post a Comment