Christmas, the religious festival that transcends most cultures. Perhaps it is a nod to the power of the Church in the Middle Ages, but somehow Christmas speaks to those of the faith and not alike.
Of course, the meaning of Christmas is very different to religious people such as myself; Jesus is (after all) the reason for the Season! Sometimes I think we lose sight of the fact that ours is a faith centred on love and family. We start the liturgical year with Advent – a time to get ready for Christmas. We start the religious year thinking about how amazing the birth of a child is, how joyous that time, and specifically that child. The most amazing gift of hope to ever grace the earth.
We all need hope and we all need family. Perhaps this is why Christmas is so socially acceptable and significant. The cynic in me wonders about the money-spinner component to Christmas, but never to the point that I don’t come back to hope and family, which I think is the true light of Christmas.
I think an aspect of Christmas is making sure the majority feel hope, following our call to be bringers of light. As parents of young children, we desire to give them a magical experience – to bring joy to their hearts in a special way. As adult children of aging elders we need to look to help them regain the sparkle of joy we were gifted with in our youth. As siblings and friends and colleagues we seek to bring moments of love and joy to others. As compassionate citizens we support organisations that help those in need more so at Christmas than any other time of the year. Much of Christmas is looking to the other.
But perhaps, given the all-too-fluid definition and experience of family, we need to give pause and make sure we do not lose any of our own sparkle. (After all we cannot look to the guide the other from darkness if we cannot see the light ourselves) If your life circumstance has changed this year then find your new tradition, don’t wait for it to find you – it probably isn’t looking.
There is a sadness that comes when Christmases change, and we miss the joy we felt with days past. We are, after all, human. Change often elicits grief. It is normal to miss what was which brought us joy, we just need to understand that finding a new joy is our own responsibility.
I don’t have a big family and a crowded house at Christmas (although I would dearly love to cater that sort of event) but I love my Christmases, even though my children are now adults and refuse to watch The Polar Express. And even when it is me and the pets (who will watch The Polar Express and a plethora of Hallmark Christmas films) I’m going to find things to do to remember that this is a day about hope. Life can really throw us a few curve balls, but I bet Joseph and Mary had zero intention of having a baby in a cave when they set off on the census to Bethlehem, and yet this night became the greatest of nights. Life can throw curve balls, but when you connect with it and the ball flies through the air, life can also push us to do things we thought previously unattainable. Go hit a home run!
What will you do this Christmas to recharge your inner light and help you truly feel hope and joy this year?
The Female Theologian 