by It’s Christmas Eve and a childlike part of me is anticipating magic, love, wonder, warmth, good will and peace.
Nostalgia of past moonlit eves when we would gather a noisy bunch and go a caroling and for midnight prayers
In futile human strength I’m trying to recreate wonder and cheer, Christmas magic for those I love
Today instead, there’s a chill that’s numbing the soul
A weariness of activity and spending and giving and loving
A selfish need to in turn receive, be celebrated, to unconditionally belong.
All around are distractions, hustle, bustle, rush
Strained pockets, jarred nerves, the new Christmas spirit
There are no warm embers, no fireside stories, no overflowing living rooms
There is no loud laughter, no overabundance of intrinsic joy
There are no long phone calls from old dear ones or extended offers of hospitality and generosity
It’s busy, hectic, distracted, like that day in Bethlehem When God the Son became the Son of Man that sons of men may become sons of God.
Magic is dissipated, lost in the busyness, like that little town that lost its chance to wait for it’s King
Or may be we have become too focused on our interests than those of the King,
We have made Jesus’s birthday our birthday, a day to celebrate everything else but the King
We have been carried by the show and forgotten the posture of worship of those angels, or the shepherds or the Maggi
Because that’s the only apt response to a king.
May be it’s a call to pause, to slow down, to ruminate, to look around,
To pull back the curtains from our attempts at entertaining, the Netflix and Hallmark binge, our overflowing carts, the travels, our sizzling sauce pans
Then we will notice the scared newly wed teen mother who has to have her baby surrounded by mooing cows
Wondering whether God forgot the major disruption, forgot to make arrangements for his baby.
We will notice the star that marks the birth place of the King
We will notice the wonderful chorus of coincidences that fulfil biblical prophecy of a coming deliverer
And we will discover that the deliverer is God himself.
God did not forget. He did not get distracted by the Roman census.
Angels watched in awe and wonder. Heaven filled with glory.
Wise men from the East lay disturbed in their sleep.
Zechariah in the temple awaited the promised Messiah with bated breath,
And Hannah, she saw the consolation of Israel.
When Christmas comes with underwhelm,
may be what Mary felt when she realized she was delivering the Lord of glory in a barn,
May be what Israel felt when they found out their conquering king was a dying king
Or when Christmas comes with overwhelm, may be what Joseph felt trying to get a room for his bride and baby in Bethlehem
Remember God works his plans in both grandeur and in obscurity,
in the darkness like yeast in dough and in the presence of everyone like when Christ healed Bartimaus
In silent moments when all hold their breath, like that day on the the cross
And in the busyness of life – for the saviour of the world was born one busy night and only a few got to know this wondrous news of great joy.
So Christmas is magic even when it’s dark in the heart
Christmas is wonder even when there are no gifts under the tree
Christmas is God’s gift even when you are stretched out by demands and expectations, met and unmet
Christmas is Christmas because God entered time and took on weak flesh that the sons of men may become sons of God.
So try to not get sucked into trying to create magic that you miss the magic
Don’t be hyper stimulated by the selfies and parties and the lights
Deceived by the overflowing chaffing dishes and holiday generosity
Look for the king, meet the king
Meet him in the obscure places where cows and oxen and farmhands stay
Pull away from the smoky kitchen and onion-reeking utensils and meet God who came to meet you in humble human stature
Look away from the busy street corner where everyone is buying and selling and seek the one who seeks and saves the lost
Celebrate, rejoice, be thankful for One who was born for you, for your sins
For Christmas became Christmas that God may meet men and men may know God.
