Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul’s,
Merry Christmas! I hope you have had the opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends during the holidays. And, moreover, I hope that you found worship meaningful as you celebrated the birth of our Savior with your church family.
In many ways, I think that Christmas brings out the worst in people. It is a time of extreme consumerism, when people are concerned with buying the biggest and best gifts for their family and friends, but also for themselves. There is serious division between those who have the means to buy extravagant gifts and those who are struggling to make ends meet. And there is the stress associated with getting everything done in time and making sure it is the “perfect” Christmas celebration, whether that refers to food, decorations, travel, gifts, experiences, attitude or anything else. There’s also the frustration with people that don’t celebrate the holiday how we do or how we think they should; either they decorate too early or too flashy, they are too religious or not religious enough, or they’re simply in our way. Christmas can and often does bring out the worst in people.
But, at the same time, Christmas brings out the best in people. When we think of the Christmas season, there are certain virtues that come to mind. Virtues like peace, joy, generosity, and good will toward others are all common sentiments to find on Christmas cards and even some wrapping paper. And, despite all the challenges of this time of year, the secular world still seems to celebrate these important virtues. This is a time of year when we see increased generosity toward those in need, kindness toward strangers, and thankfulness for friends, family, and all the blessings in life.
For better or for worse, our world swiftly forgets about Christmas on December 26 and returns to the normal hustle and bustle of life. Consumerism and perfectionism return to their normal levels, decorations are stowed away, trees are left at the curb. But also, peace, joy, generosity and good will are left behind with the season as well. And while Christmas only lasts until January 6, these virtues are Christian virtues that we’re called to embody year-round!
God invites us to continue living these Christian virtues at all times. We are invited to seek peace in our relationships with one another and with all the world. We are invited to live in joy and thankfulness for all that God has given us. We are invited to give generously of our time, talents and possessions. And we are invited to show good will and kindness toward not just our friends, but toward strangers and even those we will never meet.
It is certainly a tough call to live, and maybe that’s why we only see it in our society for a few weeks a year around Christmastime. But it is also a call to a different kind of life, a life that celebrates the gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior, born among us. It is a life that celebrates the forgiveness, grace, mercy and salvation that we have received from God.
Maybe by the time you’re reading this, you’ve already packed up Christmas for the year. But it’s still January, and a time when people make New Years’ resolutions. Even if you’re not the resolution kind of person (I’m not!), I encourage you to consider resolving to live even just a little bit differently this year, seeking to embody those virtues that Christmas brings out in us throughout the whole year.
Perhaps you’ll commit to spreading a little bit of joy by sending a card or calling someone you haven’t seen in a little while. You might adopt a new practice of generosity by adding a box of cereal or a can of vegetables to your shopping list each week for the food pantries, or you may consider donating new gently used coats, or new hats, mittens, gloves, scarves or socks during our collection drive this month. Maybe you’ll commit to spreading good will by volunteering your time at a local soup kitchen, animal shelter, or other local organization. Giving to St. Paul’s also supports both our mission here at church and our outreach to the wider community.
However you choose to live your faith, I encourage you to do so in thankfulness for all that God has done for us, especially through the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
I look forward to seeing you in church!
Peace,
Rev. Jessica Hahn