Celebrating Christmas
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) It is a festive time of year. Everywhere you look, people are decorating houses and businesses. Stores are having sales and playing special music. There are parties with presents and an abundance of food. It is a season that encourages generosity and joy. Everyone is celebrating, Catholics and Protestants, believers and non-believers, Republicans and Democrats, Longhorns and Aggies. We often don’t pause to consider the incredibleness, dare we say, the miraculousness of this reality. In a deeply divided and polarized world, we all agree not to work, to close our businesses, and to celebrate on Christmas Day.
What are we celebrating? If you asked a handful of people this question, you would receive a variety of answers. Some would say the birth of Christ. Others may say Santa Claus (a.k.a. Saint Nicholas). You may get answers like family, or even the beauty of winter (a.k.a. God’s creation), but there’s one reason why we began the tradition of celebrating long ago. It is the incarnation, a fancy way of saying that God took on flesh. He became human. God came near and lived among us. He walked dusty roads. He broke bread with saints and sinners. He experienced pain, suffering, and loss. He surrounded himself with friends and enjoyed their company. He came to show us what it means to be fully alive, fully human.
Before the crucifixion, there was the incarnation. Jesus on the cross addresses the problems of sin and evil. Jesus’ birth addresses the issue of humanity. We are broken people who need to know how to live. Christianity is not just about what happens after we die. It is about our lives on earth now and the type of people we are becoming. People all around us want to know how to live, and Jesus answers this question for us. People may not recognize that Jesus is the answer, but we all celebrate it every year at Christmas.
How should we celebrate? There are many ways to celebrate, but if we are going to be faithful to the origins of Christmas, we will celebrate by becoming like Jesus, by learning to be fully human. We will learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We will learn to forgive as God has forgiven us. We will learn the value of hospitality and welcoming people to our tables. We will learn to lead by serving. We will learn to reject pride and embrace humility. We will learn to be kind and to show grace, even to people who don’t deserve it. We will learn that true love is sacrifice.
May God bless your celebrations this year, and may we all learn to celebrate by embracing our true humanity, the humanity that is on full display in Jesus Christ.