Have you noticed that many of the radio stations are only playing Christmas music this time of year? As I change the radio stations I am reminded that this is the most wonderful time of the year and how its lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you. However, the reality of our situation might say otherwise. Maybe this is the hardest time of the year for you because you miss a loved one that is no longer with you. And with the steady rain we have been having, we may not be able to hitch up the sleigh this Christmas. But Christmas songs are full of nostalgia, reminding us of our childhood when we didn’t have a care in the world and counted down the days until presents could be unwrapped.
On my last car ride to McCall, I gravitated toward Christmas carols that focused on the birth of Jesus Christ, rather than just about the generic happiness of the holiday season. My soul longed to hear the spiritual meaning for why we celebrate Christmas. When Mary was with child, the Lord guided Joseph to take her from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register in the city of David. God broke four-hundred years of silence with the miraculous conception of His son Jesus and his humble birth in a stable in Bethlehem. The entrance of the Son of God into the world caused a heavenly host of angels to proclaim his birth.
“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5) That kind of good news, of Jesus breaking into the darkness of our world, uplifts the spirit. Think about how nice it is to see Christmas lights around town which light up our walkway. We even hold contests to see who can have the most creative display. This tradition started with Moravian Christians in the sixteenth century putting candles in their Christmas trees to symbolize Christ being the light of the world. “The people that walked in darkness hath seen a great light!” declares the composer Handel.
My daughter told me that her favorite part of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special was Linus’s speech where he quoted Scripture from Luke 2:8-14 and then declared, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” When I watched his speech, I noticed that he was so excited to tell the story that he set down his security blanket, which almost never leaves his hands. Let each of us set aside whatever substitute we may use to calm our anxieties and focus on Jesus Christ this Christmas!
