Thoughts on Christmas

A little over two thousand years ago, a baby was born. But, this baby wasn’t like others. He wasn’t born in the warmth of a home, but rather, in a cave, because there was no room for Him at the inn. He wasn’t wrapped in warm clothes and laid in a soft bed—He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, the straw poking his skin. It was cold, and, besides His parents, He was alone.

In that same area were some shepherds, who were minding their own business—keeping watch over the sheep in their field. Then, something amazing happened. An angel appeared to them, and told them that the Messiah had arrived. But, this Messiah wasn’t quite what they expected, because He was a baby, alone with His parents in a cave. Then, something even more amazing happened—the sky filled with angels, all singing “Glory to God in the highest!”

That was nowhere near your average night.

Fast-forward two thousand years. How do we remember this event? Leading up to this day—December 25th—we’re in the stores looking for the best deal. We’re stocking up on wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows. We’re making sure our decorations are perfect for all to see. We eat a big meal with family and friends and exchange gifts. And, come December 26th, the decorations come down, the presents are put away, and life goes back to normal.

But, what about that baby? Isn’t all of this supposed to be about His birthday or something? Do we take the time to even recognize that?

I’m going to be honest—getting myself ready for Christmas this year has been a challenge. There’s been a lot of distractions. Lately, I’ve been attempting to really try and focus. I’ve been trying to focus on this question: What does Christmas mean? More specifically, what does Christmas mean to me?

To me, Christmas means a lot. It means a young girl accepted a plan that God had for her—it means that she gave up her life and was willing to face ridicule to be the mother of this very special child. Christmas means that a man named Joseph stuck by her side, no matter what—and was silent (at least in Scripture) through it all. It means those shepherds in the fields had something to bring them hope.

To me, Christmas means that God loves me. It means that God, out of nothing more than a love so profound that I can’t fully grasp it, chose to enter into His creation. He chose to enter into His creation not as a mighty and powerful king, but as a small, vulnerable child, born in a cold, dark cave. He chose to come, to live, and to die—for me, and for you—all so that we might have a chance at eternal life—and eternal happiness—with Him, in Heaven.

Because of all this, to me, Christmas means that I can’t be the innkeeper in Scripture—I can’t turn away from Him, and say that there is no room for Him. Rather, I have to change the story of the innkeeper in regards to my life—I have to recognize that the inn is my heart and say, “Yes, Lord, I have room for you—please come to me”. Christmas means that I must recognize God’s profound love for me—that He wants to come to me and to speak to me in the depths of my heart—and that I have to find a way to make room, because there’s always room for the King.

Christmas isn’t about a sale, or a new sweater, or a new television. Do I think those things are completely bad? Of course not, I’m no Scrooge! But, we mustn’t stop there. The sale will end. The sweater might shrink or tear. At some point, the television will break. If we make Christmas about nothing more than these passing things, then what is the point?

This is why we have to remember what Christmas is really about. Our world is one that’s constantly changing. We yearn for something that doesn’t—we yearn for stability that we can’t often find. But, unlike our world—God never changes. He’s there with us in happy times and in sad. He’s there with us at our best moments and in our worst. He’s there with us in our moments of hope and in our moments of despair. And the whole time, He still loves us. He’s the stability our world wants so desperately, and there He was, lying in a manger. Just think of this—none of this probably went how Mary and Joseph wanted it to go—they probably didn’t count on Jesus being born in that cave. They probably didn’t think they would be alone. But, they were happy—they were content, because they had Jesus, and that’s all that really mattered.

Growing up, without realizing it, the cartoons we watch have hidden lessons that we learn. Every year around this time there are two that are must-sees for me: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas. These have always been my favorites, and the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized that these two cartoons, at least in my opinion, got Christmas right.

First, The Grinch. Kids today will probably only recognize the Jim Carrey version. It’s alright, but I’m personally a fan of the original cartoon from the 1960s (it’s a lot shorter, too!). Much of the movie focuses on obsession with presents. The Whos in Whoville spend an above average time shopping and getting ready for Christmas, and the Grinch is out to stop it (although clearly not for good reasons).

Yet, when Christmas comes and the Whos realize their gifts are gone, it doesn’t matter to them. As the Grinch said, “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more”. The Grinch finally got it! He realized that while it was great to have all that material stuff, that’s not the only thing that Christmas is about—and his heart grew three sizes that day!

Then, there’s Charlie Brown. In this classic, the “blockhead”, as he’s known to Lucy, has been asked to be the director of the annual Christmas program. Charlie Brown is trying his best, but people are annoyed with him, and everyone’s missing the point. Finally, in a moment of annoyance and frustration, Charlie Brown yells out, “ISN’T THERE ANYONE WHO KNOWS WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT?!”

With blanket in hand, Linus walks to center stage, cues the lights, and quotes Scripture saying “..For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord…”, then walked back over, saying “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown”. He gets it. Linus realized what really matters, and was able to share it with others.

This Christmas, let’s be like Linus. Let’s remember what Christmas is really about, but let’s not stop there—he didn’t. Let’s share it with others. Saint John Paul II once said, “This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel, it is time to preach it from the rooftops!” Linus wasn’t afraid to share his faith in Christ with others, and we shouldn’t be, either. Linus made room in his inn for Jesus, and we should, too.

Christmas is very special—more special than any sale or gift we could receive, because it means so much. May we do our best to recognize that, to make room in the inn of our hearts for Christ, and in all things, may He be glorified. Amen.

Merry Christmas!

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