Jesus Time
“Jesus
is good at reminding us not to let the things that want to dominate
us, literally and figuratively, dictate how we use our time. And
that's a great reminder at Christmastime.”
Emily C.
Heath (“Too Busy for That,” Wonder: Advent Devotional, 2015;
United Church of Christ)
Everyone I know is
scrambling—trying to get ready for Christmas. That doesn't
necessarily mean getting ready for the Divine Child, Emmanuel. Most
of the time, it means cleaning house, laundering sheets and preparing
food for the annual gathering of the family. Then, too, there are all
those presents that haven't been thought of until now that need to be
bought, and wrapped and stashed away. This time of year is always
crazy. My friend, Harry, and I were talking about it just yesterday.
Traffic was backed-up on the expressway for a mile in the middle of
the day. Distracted people were running lights and turning left in
front of others, just to grab that extra second—risking their own
life and other lives to do it. Forget Emmanuel! Forget Prince of
Peace! I've got to buy that turkey and those yams and wash all the
Christmas dishes. And I haven't even bought the syrup for the pecan
pies! That means another trip to the grocery store!
Let's all take a breath.
Let's adjust our trajectory. The focus here is intended to be the
birth of God-with-us. It falls in mid-winter, when all activity would
normally slow, so we can take the time to contemplate the life to be
lived by this particular infant, Jesus, and what the Christ Light
coming into the world means. It's a time to ponder questions such as:
How might I embody the Christ Light? How would the world be different
if each of us embodied the Christ Light?
Will it really matter if
Uncle Bob doesn't eat Pecan Pie this year? Will it truly make a
difference if Aunt Sarah gets only two gifts instead of five? Why not
take the money we might spend on those things, and send it to help
the actual little baby being born in a refugee camp today. Or donate
it to the food pantry in our own town. Wouldn't that be a better
acknowledgment of God-with-us, than elaborate gift bags and extra
tinsel on the tree? Here's a good question to contemplate: If Jesus
had had money, how would he have spent it? “Go and do likewise.”
( Luke 10:37)
In the Spirit,
Jane
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