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The Holiday "Spirit"
Brian Mashburn
December 20, 2015
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The Holiday "Spirit"
Little kids love Christmas. They enjoy the change of pace, the break from school, the trip to grandma's, the gifts, the lights, the food. Christmas has a "spirit" about it that kids just naturally love.
Unfortunately, the older we get, the more chances there are for Christmas to get soiled by some sort of hurt. Sometimes it comes with the loss of a family member. Sometimes it comes through divorce. Divorce creates logistical pain (where do we go on Christmas day?), relational pain (how do we honor mom's boyfriend and dad's new wife at the same time?), and sometimes financial pain (do we get gifts for half-brothers and step-sisters?). Factor in some harsh words spoken throughout the year, hurts left unresolved or unaddressed, some misunderstandings, and no wonder so many people say things like "I'm just trying to survive the holidays."
If you look at the birth of Jesus, however, and allow that story to assign a "spirit" for Christmas, the lessor stories, so full of pain, could become more manageable and redeemable. Hurt is real, of course, but it doesn't have to be the last word, nor must it necessarily be the "spirit" of Christmas that can only be endured.
Jesus' name means "the Lord saves", which was given to him because "he will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:21). Everyone needs saving from their sins, not just against God, but each other. If I could assign a "spirit" to the holidays that would honor Jesus' birth, it would be the spirit of forgiveness. Everyone in the world would examine their hearts, and prioritize the giving of forgiveness wherever it was absent.
Of course, I can't assign that spirit to everyone. But I can assign it to me. And you can assign it to you. And you should: "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Col 3:13)