So much remains unresolved. So many are in turmoil. And, it seems, so few have the time to be concerned for anyone but themselves. And, to top it off, Christmas is only a couple of days away.
Last night, however, I slipped outside with my family to witness a rare event. It was Jupiter and Saturn lining up in the sky so closely that they resembled one bright shining star. Standing and shivering on our front lawn we looked up in wonder at what some were calling the Christmas Star or the Star of Bethlehem.
As we stood there in the dark fiddling with my daughter’s telescope, I wondered what it was that I hoped to see. What is was that I hoped for.
I suppose that each year my hope at Christmas is that people will set aside their differences and truly remember the reason for the season. To remember that a tiny baby came into our world into times much like ours today. So much was unresolved. So many were in turmoil. And, yet, He came to save us and set us free.
Sometimes I believe it’s hard to feel the true expectancy and love of Christmas because we have buried it under the shopping and wrapping and pressures of the material holiday we have created. But as I gazed up into the inky black sky last night, I suddenly felt a renewal that I didn’t expect to feel. Even as the star drifted out of sight, I wondered if I could be looking at the same star the magi saw when they made their way to Bethlehem. The same star that Jesus Christ lay beneath so many years ago. It was a perfectly odd and wonderful thought.
As we gathered our things to head inside, I thought again to myself, Christmas is only a couple of days away. But this time, rather than conjuring lists of things to do, it made me smile. We may very well be at our wits end. Thank God that Christmas is only a few days away. We are in turmoil. Thank God Christmas is almost here. So much is unresolved. Thank God for the love of Christmas. It is exactly what we need right now to renew our spirits and restore our joy and to give us peace. Because that is exactly what Christmas was meant to do. And we have never needed it more than we do right now.
