The Peace of Christ
It’s now over. All the shopping and preparation, the giving and receiving of gifts, the big meal, the family gathering. No! it is not all over. You who are gathered here are back to where it all started. You know that Christmas is more than the gifts, meals, or even the football that happens on December 25. It has always struck me as strange that so many of the people who put up lights for the season turn them all off on December 26. Do they not know of the twelve days of Christmas? Usually when we hear about this, someone is talking about the twelve days before Christmas and using it as some way to make money. Yes, there was a tradition of giving gifts on each of the twelve days (that is where the song comes from), but the reason and meaning of many of our actions around Christmas is lost in the commercialization of the event. That first Christmas was not at all like ours of today. The store owners would have hated it. The only ones who celebrated that first Christmas were Jesus’ parents, some poor shepherds, and the heavenly host. No chance to make money there. Instead we find a simple scene. We find a couple just like us trying to make sense of their lives and figuring out how this new baby would change it. And, just like us, their child did not always do what they wanted and caused them great worry.
I wonder if you followed Paul’s advice on how to celebrate Christmas? Oh, I suppose, Paul is telling us how we should act all the time, not just on one day of the year. Did you clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience? Did you forgive others as you have been forgiven? That is what Christmas is all about: God giving the gift of his own son to you. Jesus, born of Mary, who showed compassion, kindness. meekness, patience, and love by his life and death even death on a cross. Christmas is about calling us to do the same. We give gifts at Christmas to point to the greatest gift that one can receive. We gather with family and friends at Christmas to remind us that we are part of God’s family. We celebrate Christmas in order to witness to Jesus and be the light of God to the world.
How well did you do these over the last several days? I suppose, like any day you succeeded sometimes and failed other times. That is the way with us, sinners and saints at the same time. But do not let the joy and beauty of this season pass you by. The beauty and joy of being called to gather around a manger with shepherds, family, friends, neighbors and even enemies and finding peace there. May God’s peace surround you and clothe you with compassion, kindness, meekness, patience and love this day and every day. Pray that you are always able to share God’s gift of his son to the world.