The Need for Community at Christmas

Those of us who celebrate the birth of Christ our Savior at Christmastime marvel at His willingness to leave the glory and majesty of His place in heaven to be born of lowly estate in an animal feeding area of a small, obscure town. Why did Jesus undertake this role, knowing the sorrows that lay before Him in His earthly life? Clearly His mission to die for our sins and rise again was number one – but in many other ways, He showed His love for us while here on earth.

In our local church, we’ve been hearing a lot over the years about the importance of relationships, and how the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – have exemplified the perfect relational model for us to follow. Of course, being human we will never attain that perfect, loving relationship that avoids any hurt or heartache. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, even against the odds that seem overwhelming at times. Isn’t that one reason why Jesus came here – to show us what it means to truly love one another, sacrificially?

Unfortunately, for some of us, the relational well seems to have run dry as loved ones have passed or moved or have, for one reason or another, chosen to ignore us. Feelings of isolation and depression are all too common at this otherwise festive time of year. Even in church families, what should be minor conflicts sometimes blow up well out of proportion, with the fallout being alienation of people who were once close friends in the Lord. True friendships, as I have found out the hard way over 70-plus years, are more precious than vast quantities of gold. Two close friends in the Lord I made 40 years ago remain at the top of my list, because in all the moves I’ve had since, no one else has ever taken their place. I think that kind of friendship is what Jesus wants for all of us.

Most of us have been to family gatherings where the cell phone has been a major culprit in preventing meaningful conversations between the generations in families, between friends, and even between spouses. I know without doubt if I was hosting a party, my first and maybe only rule would be: Put the phones away for the next few hours. At Christmastime, which for many is perhaps the only time of the year that extended families gather together, the focus on real conversation instead of who’s winning the game on TV seems especially important.

Since so many have focused on the material trappings of the holiday instead of the real “Reason for the Season,” we can find ourselves practicing rituals simply for the sake of following a similar routine, year after year. Following a routine out of a sense of obligation detracts from the extra-special meaning of the true Gift of the Christmas season. And speaking of routines, remember that it was not long ago that simply wishing someone “Merry Christmas” was frowned upon to the point of cancellation. We were told that this simple greeting may be “offensive” to people who don’t believe the same way that we do. However, “Merry Christmas” has survived that brush with its planned demise, and this means that we should convey this wish to others in the true spirit in which it’s always been intended.

Maybe because of my desire for community, the charities I gravitate toward are in essence communities serving those who otherwise may have no place to turn. It happens that each has its main focus on children, and there’s nothing better in this season of giving than the joy of a child on Christmas Day when God’s love is expressed to them, whether with physical gifts or the chance to spend Christmas with others in their community of love. Two excellent examples of this are St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Boys Town (which now has girls along with the boys). If you visit either organization’s website, you’ll see stories of children whose lives have been changed by love as well as physical and emotional healing. This is heartwarming any time of the year, but it takes on special meaning at Christmastime.

A friend of mine recently remarked that my wife has a “childlike sense of wonder” about the blessings of life. I agreed with him, and noted that this quality really shines through at Christmastime. My fondest wish is for everyone to recapture some of that childhood magic we felt as kids during the Christmas season. Merry Christmas!