My favorite holiday of all holidays is Christmas. It is a time of wonder. It is a time of giving. It is a time of community. It is foundational to my faith as a Christian. I love celebrating the birth of Jesus!
Sadly my celebration of Christmas often becomes stagnant and rote. For over half a century, I have sung carols such as Silent Night, Holy Night, words so well known that I don’t pause to think of the majesty of the words I am singing. Who knows how many miles of wrapping paper and tape I have used up? I have wrestled with colored light bulbs, walked for miles in shopping malls, read the story of Jesus’ birth in the Gospel of Luke, and watched Linus explain the true meaning of Christmas as Charlie Brown and his friends listen so many times that I lose the real meaning of the holiday.
So as I was strolling through my Facebook feed last week and read the following quote posted by one of our favorite caregivers for David, my breath was taken away. I was reminded that we celebrate Christmas because we all need hope. I need hope, and so do you. That is why Jesus came. That is why we celebrate his birthday some 2,000 years later. Thank you, Laura, for reminding us that, “Christmas is here. Let hope in!”
It’s an unwed woman who carries God.
It’s the pagans from the East who recognize God.
It’s the workers in the field who hear from God.
It’s the marginalized neighborhood who welcomes God.
It’s God who chooses the lowly and the broken to rise.
Christmas is here.
Let Hope in.