Reflecting on Christmas 2023

It's hard to believe that the holidays are once again upon us.  As I write this, we are only two weeks away from Christmas 2023.  It doesn't rain or snow much anymore in S.E. Iowa, so it may in fact be fifty degrees and sunny on December 25th.  Such an odd pairing of Spring-like weather and the Advent season.  So I have taken to reflecting on what changes and events have transpired over the course of this last year, and how Christmas this time looks a little different than past holidays.  This article is merely a reflection of my own personal opinions, and it isn't meant to be necessarily anything else.  Just some things that I have noticed as a Christian man and pastor, which stand out in my mind.

The first is that our culture and society is in desperate need of a savior, perhaps now more than ever.  People are sad, angry, anxious, and often scared.  Everything they used to know and trust is changing.  The Bible forecasted this  of course; the apostle Paul talks about it in his letters to the various churches two-thousand years ago.  He says there will be false teachers and false teaching in the last days, and that our religion and faith would be tested.  For example, as of this moment in time, the Satanic Temple of Des Moines has fashioned an idol of their dark lord and placed it in the capitol building next to the Christmas tree.  As the old saying goes: "The times, they are-a-changing."  Turn on any television show or streaming service and you will see a constant diet of sex, violence, and bold challenges to Christianity.  They don't even try to hide it anymore.

I believe this pervasive fear and blasphemy has led to a bevvy of mental health disorders as well.  According to the National Institutes of Health and Sciences, almost one in four people in the United States now suffer from some type of anxiety disorder.  Things such as GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), depression, and other maladies run wild in our culture; and are often under reported or undiagnosed.  If you think I'm overexaggerating, step into any public school  classroom in America, and spend a couple hours with the students and the teacher.  My heart goes out to all of them.  

Another thing I have noticed is a direct assault on the Christian God Himself.  In many government institutions for example, all public expressions are allowed except items directly related to the cross or Jesus Christ.  In fact, our Lord and Savior's name has become one of America's favorite slang curse words.  Hostility is often shown to churches and the people in them, resulting in backlash behavior and political/religious strife.  People are choosing sides more frequently, and the safe position of "neutral" isn't acceptable anymore.  It seems as though you must profess some type of stance on something (hopefully we are standing for God).  But often people don't.  

I recall one instance in particular when I was participating in an organizational audit, and the facilitator came into the room to look things over.  She noticed some posters on the walls - everything from safety diagrams to photos of staff.  On one of the walls there were several posters displaying Christian themes - a crucifix and portions of the Christian creeds.  The facilitator quickly tore down these posters and threw them in the garbage can.  She left everything else up on the wall.  A symptom of a larger problem ... the new practice of tolerance without actually being tolerant.  

But I am grateful in many ways that God has seen fit to preserve America for another year.  We ebb and flow, move and breathe under His mantle of forgiveness and love.  Forgiveness, because some of His children are building false idols in capitol buildings and tearing down religious posters.  And love, by continuing to put up with it, and allowing us to live in relative peace as opposed to war here on our own soil.  I pray about these things quite often.  How long, I wonder, will a benevolent God put up with people worshipping created things but not the Creator Himself?  For one more year I guess.  

There are still small acts of joy in the world that hold promise for me.  A mother's love for her children, strong Christian pastors and leaders upholding the Word of God in the Bible, and families getting together over robust dinner tables on December 25th to pray and eat together.  

At our own church, we are hosting a community meal open to all who wish to find food and fellowship on Christmas Day at the rec center.  This is the brainchild of one of our wise Elders and leaders.  Things like this stand out today.  Spreading love like currency, but without expecting anything in return.  Simply to serve God and His people.  

The holidays are stressful each year; let us at least admit to that.  Spending money we don't always have to please people we care about is often no laughing matter.  Not to mention preparing the food, traveling, and making small talk during family events.  But at its heart, we are also blessed to be able to buy gifts, prepare food, and make small talk.  It mirrors the Last Supper in many ways I think.  Jesus looked around the upper room at his followers, knowing that his crucifixion was soon to come.  One last moment of peace and tranquility.  

This is the sacrificial love that Christmas was based on.  The baby in the manger two-thousand years ago born to a virgin.  And it has nothing to do with shopping at Walmart or spending money online.  But rather, to worship and remember that the reason we celebrate these things at all is because God first celebrated His relationship with us.  Even when we were still sinners separated from Him, and then even now, when people sometimes forget why they come together in the first place.  We get caught up in all the hustle and bustle of the holiday machine itself.  In light of God's sacrifice on our behalf, we can rejoice, for God is here with us (Emmanuel).    

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