Christmas Spirit

The girls participated in a cute Christmas pageant at church, called “a Mixed-up Christmas pageant.” The premise was what if kids wore Halloween costumes. Mary was Wonder Woman, Joseph was a construction worker, they rode on a dragon instead of a donkey. Herod was Voldemort, Wise men were kings and scientists, and the shepherds and animals all arrived. Angels were dressed as angels, and there was even a star. It was adorable, and a fresh retelling of the beloved story. 

First, I love being in a church where the noise and chaos of all ages of children are not only welcomed, but encouraged. Second, I appreciate that my kids as youth still get to participate in events like the pageant. Finally, I am thankful that I was not in charge!

It was nice to be able to laugh and enjoy the story, because the world seems so heavy right now. Bethlehem is in Palestine. True, it is in the West Bank and not Gaza, but it is still Palestine. It puts a new twist to the story when you think of Mary and Joseph, this Jewish couple, traveling to Bethlehem, in Palestinian territory, when the two sides are fighting.

Since the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, so many innocent people, including children, have died. My heart grieves with the mothers on both sides of the conflict. How scary it must be to be in Israel and Gaza right now. How scary it probably also feels in Bethlehem. I have never called myself a pacifist, but I am not sure war is the answer. This land has been fought over countless times. Open the Bible, there it is. As humans, we want land, money, power, and are always “othering” people to justify our actions. 

Jesus entered the world during the Roman occupation of Israel. It preceded his birth, and continued after his death. Jewish people were allowed to practice their religion, but Herod was the Roman-appointed King. As the girls’ pageant depicted, he is the villain of the story. Living under occupation is not something most Americans have experienced. We take so many of our freedoms for granted. Now, so much of what is on TV, the radio, or even in print is fearmongering. Sadly, politicians and others keep trying to divide us further with their rhetoric. Consistently, we are being fed messages of exclusion and fear, all from an “Us v. Them” scarcity mentality.

The message Jesus was born to bring is the opposite of that. Jesus is literally Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus came to show us love. He teaches us that we should feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the prisoners in Matthew 25. In Luke 10, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, he teaches that we should show mercy to one another. John 14:15 instructs that if we love Jesus, we will keep his commandments. It is a tall order. None of this is easy. Meeting everyone with eyes of love is not easy, especially when many are cranky from the stress they are under this time of year.

I am thankful that the Jewish couple about to have a baby found shelter in Bethlehem, even if it was in a lowly stable. I am thankful that Jesus’ birth was not what was expected, and that to this day, God reveals Godself in unexpected places. I am thankful that if this Christmas isn’t perfect, or even like the “ones we used to know,” it will still be the day we celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus. I am so grateful that “God so loved the world that he gave” us Jesus (John 3:16). I am grateful to be able to read the stories of Jesus when he walked among us, about how he endured pain and suffering. 

This Christmas, I am praying for the people of Israel and Palestine, who are not living in peace. I am grateful for the peace in my heart, that comes from God, even though I am troubled by much of what is happening in our world.  I am thankful that God accepts our imperfect selves as offerings of love. I am thankful that in the little town of Bethlehem, we sing that “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”