I would wish you a Merry Christmas, but I do believe that chances are if you have found yourself here upon such a day instead of in the company of loved ones, good friends, or good food, your Christmas may not be so merry. A mild assumption though to make, so I suppose seasons greetings to you and your all.
I am here, as for a moment I wish to hide from the chaos the awaits in the outside world. For I know that today, presents are being ripped open, faces are lighting with joy and things once wished for are now recieved… only to soon enough make their way to the bottom of closet never to be seen again. For how true it is that having is never as much fun as wanting… and when the want has died away and the pine tree scent no longer lingers, precious belongings will find their way to places we rarely see ever again.
Am I wrong?
My heart struggles so deeply with this materialism, I venture to say I’d rather not participate in the season at all. Don’t percieve me incorrectly. There can in fact be true joy in a gift well given that is equally well received. I have indeed managed that once or twice in my life. But I must take a moment to reflect, as many of us will often do at some point in our lives about this joyous holiday season and the true meaning it holds. I seem to do this more often as the magic of waking up to open presents has long ago worn off and my Christmas list has resorted to practical things I need like a coffee pot for my dorm room.
And I wonder… is this what Christ would have been doing on HIS birthday? Would he have been bustling about trying to get presents ready and the house clean and the meal cooked? I venture to say not. More so, if a present was given to Christ the child, would he have cried when it turned out to be just what he didn’t want? Or turned to hysteria when the batteries were missing? More so, would he have thrown himself into fits of rage when the evening meal turned up slightly burnt? Or when the pie was dropped on the kitchen floor, becoming Fido’s feast?
Pardon me if I sound crazy, but I simply cannot see the Saviour of the world reacting in such a way. I think His birthday would have been much quieter an affair… It would have been no tremendous deal, truly if any fuss were even made at all. I think insted, He would have taken the time to bless someone else, someone much more in need then Himself.
Of course, my thoughts are all speculation… and I could say more on what a King might receive on His birthday and in stark shame realize I possess not a thing worthy of giving Him short of my whole life, blemished and marked, still not enough to give to Him. But this year I’d rather offer you something different- peace.
I believe an occassion such as Christ’s birthday would have been marked with peace. It would have been spent in the company of beloved family and would have brought little attention to Himself but rather, focused on those He spent time with.
This year, go focus on someone else for a while. Go put the attention on your loved ones and enjoy the moments you have together. Laugh off the silly things, eat the burnt dinner if you must [[or shrug it off for bad Chinese take out]] and for a while, just enjoy a bit of peace this Christmas season.
And then, go help someone in need. For this, this is a gift truly worth presenting to a King.
May this be, your merriest of Christmas’s.
