Like most, if not all of you, as a child Christmas couldn’t get here fast enough. I loved the music, the lights, the break from school, and, of course, the presents. I have many pleasant memories. As the years went on and I became a parent of three great boys, more happy memories ensued.
The older I’ve gotten, the more and more I realize the true mixed emotions that the season brings. The hyper sentimentality of the season only heightens grief and disappointment over those not with us or over broken or strained relationships. The season brings melancholy and sadness for many.
The basis for our celebration is the incarnation- the coming in the flesh of the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to deal with the root cause of our sadness and longing. He came to defeat sin and death. The incarnation is the true message of good news just as the angels proclaimed to those scared shepherds on the Judean hillside.
Let’s be mindful of those for whom the holidays are more to be endured than enjoyed. Let’s pray for God’s grace and encouragement for the hurting and seek to be God’s agent of comfort. Let’s purpose to focus on the good news that is the only basis for real and lasting joy. ‘Tis the season for hurting as well as happy people
