Psalm 126:3  

"May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy."

Reflection by Christina Villa
You might be wishing that Christmas was NOT going to be different this year.  It might be the first Christmas since a death in the family, a job loss, or a divorce. Maybe there will be an empty place at the table, or fewer presents under the tree, or no tree at all. Maybe you lost your house this year, or had to move away, or can't afford to travel home.

There's so much that can make us say with regret at Christmas, "it won’t be the same," and our most fervent wish is that things could go back to the way they were.  Since they can't, a lot of people feel downcast at Christmas, when reminders of loss seem to spring up everywhere.

And yet, Christmas is about the coming of love and light into the world, which we would not need to celebrate if life were free of loss and darkness.  That's what makes Christmas a serious holiday. It's not all tinsel and eggnog. Jesus, a messiah bringing love and light into the world, was also "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," says Isaiah, putting it mildly. The serious mystery of Christmas is God's answer to the losses we accumulate, the best answer we have and the very one we need. 

Prayer

Thank you for the gift we can't shop for or wrap up, the one thing at Christmas that will always be the same.  Amen.

About the Author Christina Villa is on the staff of the United Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio.

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