The First Christmas
PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND
December 26, 2021
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS
Christmas hymns like “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Silent Night” give a romantic, idealized portrayal of the first Christmas. All is clam, all is bright. All around can be heard the heavenly chorus and peace has descended on the earth. How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift was given.
In fact the hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter,” especially the first verse, gives a more accurate picture of the first Christmas. Note: it is very likely that Jesus was actually born in spring since the shepherds were out in the fields. Mary and Joseph had just made an arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Because of the census there was no place for them to stay. Only because of the kindness of an innkeeper did they find shelter for the night. We have no record of anyone being there to help Mary with the birth. That first night their only visitors were some lowly shepherds who were fresh from the fields with all its smells.
For many living in Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee and Arkansas Christmas 2021 will be associated with the five killer tornadoes that ripped through these states Friday night and Saturday morning, December 11th and 12th. Communities, especially Mayfield, Kentucky, were left unrecognizable. The death toll hovers around 100. Thousands were left homeless, their future uncertain. It will take years to rebuild many communities. A lifetime of possessions and memories were lost. The coming of future Christmases will be a reminder of the destruction and disruption that persons, families and communities experienced December of 2021.
Those affected by this December’s tornadoes are not the only ones for whom future Christmas holidays will bring back unpleasant memories. There is a whole segment of our population who do not look forward to Christmas because of the associations it has. There are those who are not looking forward to Christmas 2021 because it emphases the difficult situation in which they find themselves. Who can even think about buying gifts when there is not enough money to buy the basics of life?
People who find the Christmas season painful might do well to focus on its meaning rather than its observance and celebration. Christmas is about Jesus, ”who, though he was in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.” (Phil. 2:6,7a) Christmas is about the Word becoming flesh and living among us. (John 1:14a) Christmas is about light shining into the darkness of human experience. (John 1:1-5)
In the Psalms we read: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the seas; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” (Psalm 46:1-3) In light of the events of this December we might well add to the possibilities of calamities that might befall us tornadoes. The Psalmist gives us the assurance that God stands ready to be a refuge and strength for those who have had their lives totally disrupted. Those who have been unaffected by the tornadoes are call upon to be a part of God’s help for those who experience trouble at this Christmas season.
A number of years ago a saying that was popular was “Jesus is the reason for the season.” This observation remains true today. There is reason to rejoice and give thanks during this Holiday Season if we focus not so much on the observance and celebration of Christmas but on the reason for the season.