Finding Joy This Christmas
Our wait is almost over. Christmas is almost here.
For Mary and Joseph, that birth in the stable marked the end of months of waiting and expectation. From angel prophesies, contemplations about broken engagements, nine months of pregnancy, a long journey to Bethlehem, and then a desperate search for shelter, they had had a long and tiring year. I’m sure that the birth of baby Jesus was a much-anticipated and welcomed moment of joy.
For many of us, 2016 has also been a long and difficult year. We’ve had personal trials and struggles. We’ve lost loved ones and grieved the horrific death of people killed in mass shootings, church bombings, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks. We’ve witnessed acts of racism and sensed a rising tide of hate towards immigrants. Even this week, we heard about the fall of Aleppo and the dangers awaiting the thousands of Syrian civilians who remain trapped in that city.
In the midst of this darkness, Christmas comes. Its celebration is a welcome moment of light. While horrible things continue to happen, we find ourselves pausing to reflect on the good. We deliberately reach out to family and friends, many of whom we don’t see as often as we should. We send Christmas greetings and express our love for each other with gifts. We receive gifts and greetings and feel loved in return. We watch feel-good movies and specials on T.V. And, most importantly of all, we worship together, celebrating the birth of our Savior with special music, candles, pomp and pageantry.
For Mary and Joseph, their moment of joy at the birth of their son marked not just the end of their year of waiting, it also marked the beginning of something greater. They knew the promise that that little child held and found joy in knowing that, even as they entered a life of midnight feedings and diaper changes, God would keep all of those promises and the world would have a savior.
As you celebrate Christmas this year and look ahead to 2017, I encourage you to also find joy — not just in your holiday celebrations, but most importantly in the promise that we have in Christ.
No matter what we’ve experienced in 2016, and no matter what lies ahead in the year and years to come, one fact remains ever and constantly true – our world belongs to God. Wars, pain, sickness, and disaster – nothing is beyond his reach or his control.
May the Holy Spirit convict us of that this Christmas and use our collective witness to show the love of God and the gift of Christ to those nearby and far away.
