The Original Christmas Story

A topical question that many of us have been asking lately: What would Christmas be like this year?

The sustained increase in new COVID-19 cases across many states have cautioned people against traveling for the holiday season. And this recommendation hasn’t been easy on us. For decades, holiday movies and television shows have always been about carrying people away to a family member’s home filled with gifts and food. But this year, we’re forced to rethink our holiday rituals and look for new ways to celebrate the season.

The thought of breaking this tradition where we relive our childhood memories leaves us feeling sad as we long to return to the world as we knew it. However, we must weigh the traditional holiday’s implications and risks for the safety and well-being of us and our kin.

My holiday too will look different this year. And I’ve taken this as an opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. What was once centered around our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth had slowly changed over the years and lost its meaning in the cultural traditions. It revolves around decorated trees, gift shopping, magical lights, turkey dinners, holiday cheer, and the snow on our rooftops. Yes, Christmas can be a season of great joy to be with families and a time for giving and sharing. But above all, it’s the time to celebrate the real reason for the season—God showing His great love for us by sending his Son, Jesus, into the world to be born.

So this year, I choose to look at Christmas in a new way—to really appreciate the meaning of Christmas. I wish to focus on The Birth of Jesus—the greatest gift of all and the greatest joy to the world. I hope to take advantage of this time we’ve gained with those in our household to grow our spiritual intimacy and bear witness to God’s presence in our lives.

This Christmas and in the future, I wish to rejoice in Jesus’ birth and be saved by His coming into the world.

Written by a Grace congregation member