Possibilities amongst the Impossible

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, love and goodwill to all. But with all the stress and commotion of the season, many of us end up feeling more like Mr. Scrooge than Santa Claus. Just something I found and what to share:

So, what is Christmas spirit? Does it involve presents, Christmas trees, mistletoe, decorations, Santa Claus or the birth of a sacred baby? Or, is it a feeling that is present in our hearts and souls at this time of the year? After all, not everyone celebrates Christmas. But, in many different cultures midwinter is a sacred time of the year.

I think that the true meaning of Christmas is about possibility in the midst of the impossible. It is not the kind of possibility that comes from a confidence in our own skill, knowledge, ability, or a positive mental attitude. It is possibility that comes solely from the fact that God is God, and that he is the kind of God who comes into our own human existence to reveal himself and call us to himself. It is a possibility that is so surprising at its birth that we are caught unaware, and so are left with wonder at the simplicity of its expression in this infant child. It is a possibility that is easily symbolized by a helpless infant that has nothing of its own by which to survive; yet an infant that, because he is Immanuel, God with us, will forever change the world and all humanity. It is this same God who has promised to be with us, with his people, with the church and with us individually, as we live as his people in the world.

It is not just hope, as if it were wishful thinking that things will get better when they cannot. It is hope incarnated into flesh, a hope that can be held in a mother’s arms, a hope that expresses a reality that will live beyond endings and death itself. It is the hope, the possibility, that springs from impossible and insignificant beginnings, infused with the power of God through the Holy Spirit, that will blossom into a light to the nations.

It is this possibility, this God, that we celebrate at Christmas. And we do so with a confidence born, not of our own desire for it to be so, but from the birth of a child over 2,000 years ago, a child who was the Son of God!

I personally, don't think it matters if that feeling is called Christmas spirit, holiday spirit, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa spirit, Yule spirit or simply midwinter spirit. This is a special time of the year for reflections on peace, love, harmony and good will to humankind. Too bad we can't keep that spirit alive the rest of the year. What a wonderful world this would be.

Jesus is the Reason!