Christmas Eve

The True Spirit of Christmas

In addition to the bombardment of advertising that comes at us this time of year, different media outlets also present stories that might all be grouped under the headline “The True Spirit of Christmas.” Pretty much anything that contrasts with the commercialism of Christmas seems to come under this heading.

I welcome these stories. They are filled with hope and often illustrate the best of human nature. It is good at Christmas time to be reminded of the goodness of people.

But it’s also good, especially for those of us who gather for worship on Christmas, to be reminded that Christmas isn’t about us, even at our very best. If we define the “True Meaning or Spirit of Christmas” as anything and everything that’s just slightly better than commercialism, we’re still missing out on the deep wonder and true miracle of Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is all about God. God who came among us.

I think God is in these human stories that we tell to illustrate the “true spirit of Christmas.” And yet, even those of us who are Christians often forget to name him.

As examples of the true spirit of Christmas we often hear stories of heroic generosity. The parent who goes hungry to buy a child a simple gift. Individuals and families who give and give and give so that other families with limited resources can have a Christmas feast or so that military personnel can experience some piece of home at Christmas time. Stories of human generosity.

But the story to tell tonight is of God’s generous giving of himself to us without reservation. And of the literally limitless abundance of God’s blessings for us. God’s generosity is the source of ours. God’s generosity is the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas time also generates stories of reconciliation. Stories about family members long estranged who humble themselves to come together at Christmas time. To forgive one another and renew relationships. Dicken’s A Christmas Carol is one of these stories. Scrooge, who finally puts aside all of his attitude, and humbly reconciles with Fred, the son of his beloved sister.

The true story of Christmas, though, is that God humbled himself to be born in human likeness so that we might be reconciled with him. Divine love is born in the world tonight. A love that is more powerful than any human division.

To illustrate the meaning of Christmas we often tell stories of individuals who shine forth with hope and wonder in the midst of darkness. It seems there are many dark places in the world today. We cherish stories about individuals or communities who nonetheless, persevere in hope.

Hope itself was born in a poor manger. Beauty beyond human description came into being in the dinginess of a barn. Holiness took on human being. That incredible hope is God’s Christmas gift.

Peace. Peace is also celebrated as a manifestation of the real meaning of Christmas. Many of you will have seen renewed interest this year in the Christmas truce of 1914. It has been 100 years. It really happened in the early days of WW 1, that informal truces arose across the trenches of France. Armies paused in their killing of each other to exchange gifts and greetings.

I read a commentary on the truce which included this observation: “Crucially, there was no truce in 1915…. The most important legacy of the Christmas Truce, which has been memorialized in movies and remembered as evidence of mutual respect and humanity amidst the horrors of war, is that there was only one of them” (Read the piece here... not that I necessarily support or can really evaluate the overall thesis). The most important legacy of the Christmas Truce of 1914 is that there was only one of them.

When the “Spirit of Christmas” is only about human nature, even human nature at its most noble, its most generous, its most hopeful… when the “Spirit of Christmas” is only about human nature, it is fleeting. Only God offers the peace which passes human understanding. To know the little baby born this night is to know that peace.

When we hang onto the gifts that God gives this night, then the Christmas spirit becomes more than fleeting acts of holiday goodwill. The true spirit of Christmas becomes a way of life. The true spirit of Christmas is the Christian life. Year round. Life shared with God. Christmas spirit is the Christian life.

It is a life full of abundance generously shared, and full of wonder. A life filled with the reconciling power of God’s own love, with unquenchable hope and the peace which surpasses human understanding.

May you know that life throughout the year.