Twenty years ago this month, I almost died from blood clots
in both lungs. The year before that, my
father died suddenly. The year after, my
wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Three consecutive Christmases filled with disruptions. Major upheavals in my life. For a long time following those three
disruptive years, I had a hard time getting into the “Christmas spirit.” Like most years, 2017 has had it’s share of
ups and downs, challenges and joys, disruptions and moments when things felt
like they were coming together. For a
variety of reasons, I’ve had a hard time getting into the “Christmas spirit”
this year as well.
But, what exactly does that mean?
Does it mean experiencing a little “silent night” in the
midst of the disruptions of life? Does
it mean getting a fleeting taste of the “peace that passes all understanding”
in a world that so frequently seems bereft of peace? Is it a momentary break from the realities
that plague so many lives? I really
don’t think that’s what Christmas is all about.
If you read the biblical stories of Christ’s coming
carefully, you will discover that his birth itself was, in so many ways, a holy
disruption. In Luke’s Gospel, the
great Roman Emperor Augustus calls for an enrollment and a heavenly army shows
up to declare the birth of God’s Son.
In Matthew’s Gospel, the announcement of Jesus’ birth so threatens King
Herod that he sends his armies to massacre all the children under two in
Bethlehem. John tells us that, in Jesus,
God’s Word became flesh and dwelt among us, only to be rejected. Angels appear and disrupt the lives of Mary
and Joseph and some shepherds minding their own business on a quiet
hillside. In her “Magnificat” Mary
declares that, in her child, God will turn the world upside down.
Christmas is not about getting a break from the disruptions
of life, it is about the God of steadfast love breaking into the disruptions of
life. It is about good news of great joy
coming to all the people. It is about
the Word made flesh dwelling among us full of grace and truth. It is about the coming of the Messiah who
gives his life on a cross for the sake of the world and rises again on the
third day as proof that God’s love is even more powerful than death. The child we celebrate each Christmas not
only disrupts life, he transforms it. Changes
its meaning. Changes the basis for hope
not just for a moment, but for every moment of every day – even and especially for days that are filled with blood clots, sudden death, a diagnosis of cancer and
all the challenges and trials that are inevitably a part of every human life.
The Christmas spirit is not some warm fuzzy feeling you get
from colored lights, tinsel, carols and packages under a tree. It is the Spirit of God’s love and grace
shared in the midst of the realities of human life. It is the Spirit of God
With Us and of the One who promises to be with us to the end of the age… and
beyond.
That’s the Christmas Spirit I know I will feel as I sing
“Silent Night” this year. That’s the
Christmas Spirit I will celebrate as I give thanks for the gift of the Christ
Child and for the community of family and faith that reminds me of that gift
every day.
A blessed Christmas to all!
Bishop Mike
Thanks for reading.
May God go with you in the New Year!
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