The one thing that keeps coming back to me this year, as I consider Christmas in the midst of a global pandemic, economic crisis, racial injustice, political mayhem, worldwide uncertainty, and my mother’s death, is that through it all God is with us. No matter what we face, God is with us.
I am grateful that we celebrate the birth of the messiah at the darkest time of the year. While the days are short and the nights are so very long, I am grateful for the reminder that no matter how long it seems that we have to wait for the day, God brings light into our world. The light and warmth of the advent candles remind us of the countless ways that love and hope brighten our world. The same is true of the light and joy we find in the decorations for Christmas in our homes and our neighborhoods, and in our in-person and virtual connections with family and friends.
God is so deeply committed to being with us, that God came to earth in human form, as a small, vulnerable infant in a peasant family. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we remember that God’s love extends further than we can possibly comprehend, and is with us through challenges and struggles that seem unbearable. We remember that God continues to come to us in human form, through the people and even strangers we encounter.
May you find hope and joy in this Christmas.
May you see and experience God’s presence in the beauty around you, the laughter you share, the people you hold dear, the celebrations (no matter how unusual) you make.
May you find God’s presence in these lights as they bring dawn closer.
Merry Christmas!