Christmas means many things to many people.
For many, it is family, friends, and festivities, taking time to visit loved ones, and gathering to enjoy food, drink, and celebration.
For some, it is a painful reminder of loss. Whether death, divorce, separation, or distance, something that once was no longer is.
For those of different faiths or no faith, it might be a reminder of the oppressive, dominating aspects of Christianity.
For many Christians, it is an affirmation that YHWH came in the flesh to dwell among human beings.
For me, it is all of these.
I love to celebrate this season. From the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Day, holiday music plays in my home, my car, and my office. I love dressing up for holiday parties and embracing all the season has to offer. It is such a joy to slow down and spend a little extra time with those I love, friends and family alike. And, of course, I always enjoy all of the food and drink this time of year offers, a little too much.
But there is also sadness. I reflect on Christmases past. My mom died over 26 years ago and my dad has been gone for eleven. My grandparents have all been gone over three decades and there is a long list of other family members and close friends who are no longer living. Childhood Christmas mornings seem so far in the past, the innocence of those days a distant memory.
There is the pain of divorce and the evolution of my relationship with my now adult son. Those Christmas mornings where that young boy joyfully opened presents under the tree is a fond but distant memory. The magic of those moments still brings a smile to my face, but their absence serves as a reminder of the marching forward of time.
While I am Christian, I recognize the ways my faith tradition has often used power to oppress others. I have seen Muslims, Hindus, Jews, and others belittled or sidelined in an effort to “save” Christmas. The very phrase “saving Christmas” makes me chuckle and grimace at the same time.
This brings me to the birth of Jesus. While December 25th is almost certainly not when Jesus was born (not the only detail we often get wrong), this is a time Christians celebrate the coming of Immanuel, God with us. But what does that really mean?
Jesus certainly valued community, but his view and experience of family is not what many Christians focus on today. His family tree includes adultery (David and Bathsheba), a murderer (David), a prostitute (Rahab), a woman who seduced her father-in-law (Tamar), a foreigner (Ruth), liars and deceivers (Abraham, Issac, and Jacob), and one who worshiped many gods (Solomon). His lineage certainly is messy.
And while he honored his parents—as any good Jewish male would—he also embraced a nontraditional view of family at times (Luke 14:26, Matthew 12:48-50) and welcomed those who didn’t fit neatly into the “model Christian family” box. He protected a woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11). He forgave a “sinful woman” (Luke 7:36-50). He hints at inviting those of other faiths (depending on how you interpret and understand John 10:16). He offers healing and salvation to “non-believers” (Luke 7:1-10, Luke 23:39-43).
The birth of Jesus is such a complex yet simple event. The divine became finite in the form of a child. The force that holds the universe together put on flesh and became the embodiment of divine love.
YHWH has always been present in creation, long before that humble birth 2,000 years ago. The first incarnation of the divine is revealed in the light and breath of creation (Genesis 1:3; 2:7). And as the introduction to the Gospel of John so beautifully reminds us, Jesus’ birth is not the first and only incarnation, but a continuation of what started “in the beginning.” The Logos became flesh so we could better witness and understand what it means to be fully human.
Even a cursory look at Jesus’ life as documented in the Gospels reveals the divine’s dream. The marginalized are embraced (Matthew 8:1-4). The lost are found (Luke 19:1-10). The outsiders are welcomed in (John 4:7-26). The hungry are fed, the thirsty are given drink, the strangers are welcomed, the naked are clothed, and the imprisoned are visited (Matthew 25:35-36).
Yes, Christmas is a time for family, celebration, and cheer. But it is also a time to embrace sorrow, battle injustice, and welcome all. Jesus didn’t come to offer an escape plan out of this broken and imperfect world; he came to show us how to make this world more like the world YHWH imagines. Christmas is not primarily about how we get to heaven, but how we get heaven to earth. It’s so obviously displayed in the birth of Jesus that sometimes we miss it.
Breaking Into Peace 