It is that time of year again, no not the season of shopping and stress, that modern holiday is not one I care to celebrate, rather Advent is upon us once more. It is the season set aside by the early church in anticipation of the coming King; it is a season of eager joy, personal reflection, repentance, and thankfulness, both looking back at Christ's birth and forward to the Second Coming. And sadly it has been overlooked, forgotten, and pushed aside by the hecticness that is the modern observance of the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas: namely stress, debt, and stuff, all the antithesis of the original meaning of the season.
I enjoy watching the movie, 'The Nativity Story,' this time of year, as they did a suburb job of capturing the gospel accounts of the events leading up to Christ's birth, if a little cheesy, but I love it for all of that. They show a pregnant teenager's struggles in a society where such a condition outside of marriage is a capital offense. We see Joseph, the usually overlooked fiancé, heroically choosing to take Mary as his wife and this unborn child as his own, though it it is a scandal that will mark them the rest of their lives. We see a society in upheaval looking for a hero, a king, a conqueror, when it is a mere babe that has come to save the world from itself. It is a tale full of beauty, joy, struggle, and hope and a reminder that often the thing least expected or wanted is actually the most important thing in the world, if only we had the ability to see it.
That is what advent is all about: seeing what the world otherwise cannot see. We stop, we reflect, we are astonished anew, and hopefully come away refreshed and encouraged to go our way rejoicing, for the unthinkable has happened: God became flesh and dwelt among us! That is the true meaning of the season and life itself, we will not find it rushing about madly to find 'the' gift or in a myriad of insipid parties, gatherings, and festivities. This is a season of rejoicing and hope, there should be celebration and joy this time of year, but cramming our lives full of stuff and activities will not bring us joy. Rather, it crept quietly into a stable two thousand years ago and merely waits for us to find it anew.
Of all the Christmas classics you might watch this year, 'The Nativity Story' is a beautiful reminder of what it is all about. Charlie Brown tries valiantly but it ends as more an afterthought (that and I always find him a bit depressing for some reason). 'It's a Wonderful Life' is a charming story and well worth watching, but isn't quite the 'reason for the season.' Rudolf isn't even close. Frosty is cute, but again off course. If you have the chance, sit down and watch it with your family and remember what the season is truly about.
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