I Don't Want a lot for Christmas

Christmas has a different feel for me this year and I’m beginning to understand why.  The turmoil of the election cycle, the deep uncertainty I feel about the world, and the illnesses of a number of friends, have made Advent and Christmas more poignant this year. The secure and happy bubble that I am lucky enough to call my life has been breached. This year the joy and anticipation of the season is mingled with a newly discovered vulnerability. Life and the world feel more fragile than in years past.

Lately, I've been holding onto my faith more tightly. I've decked the halls as usual, but I've also devoted more time to prayer than I typically do during Advent. I've sent out Christmas cards, but I've also reconnected with old friends over the phone. The thought of spending Christmas day surrounded by my family feels almost overwhelmingly beautiful.

It helps me to remember that the incarnation epitomized vulnerability. God decided to "be with us" as a defenseless infant, born under perilous conditions to a woman in dubious circumstances. Yet, akin to any great narrative, the incarnation resembles a multifaceted diamond, gleaming with diverse meanings. The incarnation brings us closer to one another. At the heart of the story is a tightly bonded family whose love surpasses all obstacles they face. A love potent enough to sustain Jesus' ministry.

Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, writes “Intimacy is predicated on vulnerability. You cannot overpower another person so as to make him or her love you, unless you overpower his or her heart like an infant does.  We can seduce each other through attractiveness, draw admiration through our talents, and intimidate each other through superior strength, but none of these will ultimately provide the basis for a shared community of life for long…but the powerlessness and innocence of a baby can provide that.

The incarnation still holds magic for me.

 Seated in the living room under the glow of the Christmas tree, my anxiety diminishes, and I am enveloped by a feeling that the world is good (as Genesis states) and that I am a part of this good world, which continually brims with the freshness of new life.  As the old carol aptly expresses, both the hopes and the fears of all the years converge in thee tonight.

May you have a blessed and glorious Christmas.