Christmas Day

 

Well, the day has finally come.  We’ve been waiting and planning and shopping and sitting at home for weeks on end now.  And here it is:  Christmas Day.

As I thought about what I wanted to say to you on this day, I kept coming back to thinking how complicated and different this day is.  When we think of Easter, for example, we kind of have a universal experience of dressing up, going to church, watching children hunt for eggs, maybe followed by a big meal. 

Christmas, on the other hand, is different.  Some of us are alone today.  Some will watch our children open gifts.  Some have relatives in town.  Some are spending their first Christmas missing the love of their life.  A few will join our very subdued worship service online at 10am.

And Christmas is complicated.  Some of us have great and happy memories.  Some of us have terrible and frightening memories.  Most, I suspect, have a mixture.  For a lot of people, Christmas is far from the happiest time of the year, because Christmas—quite frankly—comes with a lot of baggage.

So here’s my Christmas wish for you in this most unusual year:

I hope you will remember that this day reminds us that Jesus comes to everyone.  Whether or not we are ready.  Whether or not we feel “the Christmas spirit.”  Whether or not we are worthy.  Jesus comes to you, as innocent and vulnerable as any newborn child, asking you to hold and embrace him.  No strings attached.  This baby will save the world, and this baby is here for you.