I thought that might get your attention. I actually love
many things about Christmas - I love all the decorations, and the lights that
bring a smile to my face in these cold, dark days of winter. I love the fact
that it provides many opportunities for people to get together, to spend time
with one another in community. And I love the fact that it gives me an excuse
to sing and listen to Christmas carols - those familiar songs of my childhood,
that bring back memories as the words so easily trip off my tongue, but yet
contain truths that are timeless and impact me afresh each year.
And yet, there are so many people who don't like Christmas,
and the more I think about it, the more I sympathise with them. Some people
don't have families that they can celebrate with, or who they can enjoy
spending time with (for a variety of reasons). And there is so much about our
cultural "Christmas" that seems fake, fake like the Christmas trees
that many of us have in our houses - they may look good for a season, but we
all know they're not the real thing. We watch all of the adverts and the
Christmas films, and the message seems to be one of "forced
happiness". We can even talk about how we're 'not feeling Christmassy
yet'; that is, if we're not feeling 'in the Christmas mood' (i.e. all excited,
happy, joyful and all warm and fuzzy inside) there must be something wrong, and
we need to re-evaluate our lives! The message seems to be that it doesn't
matter what's really going on - just bury it, smile, and pretend that
everything is ok even if it's not, just for a few days; reality can wait until
January...
But I'm discovering the good news that this isn't the only
message of Christmas. At Christmas, many of us also celebrate the time when
Jesus was born. Jesus is the centre of the Christian faith, and there is a lot
of historical evidence that Jesus was a real man who walked on this earth (a
whole blog post in itself! I recommend this book for further reading on this topic.). Some people (me included) also believe that he was
more just than a man - that the mystery of Christmas is that God came down to
this earth and was born in Bethlehem; that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us in
the flesh (crazy, right?!).
I love the reality in this story - that God didn't stay
distant from us. He showed us that he isn't a God who just wants to put a
band-aid on our brokeness, and force us to worship him with fake smiles on our
faces. No. He is a God who entered into our reality; he didn't shy away from
it, and he doesn't expect us to either. Yet he didn't just enter into the
reality of our brokenness and pain, he also confronted it (and ultimately
defeated it).And he does so still - God with us, Emmanuel...if we want to let
him be.
There is a verse in the Bible where Jesus says: " Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice
and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
Eating with someone implies a deep, real and meaningful connection. Yet, he
doesn't force his way in, but simply offers us an invitation - it's up to us as
to whether we accept or not. A few weeks ago I was at a conference where the
keynote presentations were on mental health (understanding the concerns better,
and knowing how to respond well in the context of being a youth worker).
One of the most powerful moments for me, which has stayed strongly with me
since, was when one of the speakers was talking about the struggles her
daughter had gone through with an issue that had very serious implications for
her health. When her daughter was at one of her lowest moments, she had gone to
a Christian festival. In one of the main worship times, she had ended up lying
face-down in the mud, wondering how she would ever have the strength to stand
back up again. But then she had a vision of Jesus...he wasn't doing anything in
particular, or saying anything in particular, but silently he came and laid
face-down in the mud beside her. He then turned to her and said:"I'm ready
when you are".
Jesus does that still; he doesn't ignore our reality, or
just tell us to pull ourselves together, but he enters into it with us, and
invites us to lean on his strength to help us get back up again, out of the
mud. He is so gentle, and kind, and yet also has the power to back up the
things he says. Through Jesus, it is possible for each one of us to have a
living, and real connection with the God who made us and also loves us with an
everlasting love. Celebrating the birth of Jesus gives us a real hope, one that
doesn't ignore the facts, but is even more real than our circumstances, a hope
that we can cling to whatever we may walk through on this earth.
I want to know this God more - not just in a "smile and
say everything is fine, and say the right Christian words" way, but in an
utterly real way, where I let my guard down (because I have learnt to trust him
enough to do that); where I let God be present with me in my every moment,
where I let him into all of my mess, believing that as I do so, that's when he
can start to bring beauty out of the brokeness; bring order out of the chaos; and
cause joy (real, deep and lasting joy) to fill my heart.
So if this speaks to you this Christmas season, know that
our stories aren't over yet - there is so much that God wants to unfold in your
life, if you will just let him! Ask him: "God, if this is really true, if
you are really real, show me the reality of your goodness". What have you
got to lose? At worst, you will feel a little foolish, and have a few less
minutes of your life. At best, you will have a new connection with someone who can
help you navigate life. I have started out on this journey...Won't you join me?
[Disclaimer: note that my intention with these sorts of
posts is never to try to invalidate or disrespect what any of you may believe. I am simply
trying to give a voice to some of the journey that I have been walking, with the hope
that in the process I may provide some encouragement and challenge to you also!].
