The pumpkin in the middle of our dinner table has long been replaced with Advent candles. Pumpkin-spiced smells and drinks have given way to peppermints and all the brown decorations have turned red. A well-lit tree takes up part of our living room and the Amazon delivery guy is a frequent visitor. Thanksgiving is a distant memory, as the calendar draws ever closer to Christmas, now just a day away.
A Different Year
Every year we are told this is “the most wonderful time of the year.” Typically, I agree. I love Christmas and the whole Advent season leading up to it. If I knew that it wouldn’t lead to shame-filled looks of hatred from my neighbors, I would hang Christmas lights in October! (I usually have them ready to be turned on as soon as Thanksgiving is over so as not to break the unspoken cultural rules.) What’s not to like about a season where everyone seems to smile more, party more, and eat more sweets? Who doesn’t love seeing boring yards revived with lights and stingy hearts encouraged to give?
However, this year feels different. Our family experienced the death of two deeply loved family members. The world is still dealing with a global pandemic and wars are raging over vaccines, lockdowns and masks. Politics feels more like middle school insult battles rather than any form of actual discussion. Even among believers there seems to be short fuses and division while many build platforms by tearing down others. We are encouraged to stop thinking, pick a side, and yell loudly at the opposition. Calmness is ridiculed and kindness doesn’t sell. It’s exhausting and overwhelming.
“I feel like Scrooge stuck in the middle of carolers in Whoville wondering if it’s them or me who’s out of touch with reality.”
I had high hopes for 2021 but instead it turned out to be a bad sequel to 2020 and I find myself limping into the Christmas season. Summer has given way to a cold, dark winter causing my soul to shiver. Needless to say, it almost feels fake to have Christmas cheer. I feel like Scrooge stuck in the middle of carolers in Whoville wondering if it’s them or me who’s out of touch with reality.
Can we really celebrate hope when things seem so hopeless? Is it possible to enjoy the brightness of Christmas among such rampant darkness? How can we put on Christmas smiles when our hearts are frowning?
Something Deeper
Amid such difficulty, it can be tempting, especially this time of year, to slap on a superficial smile and tell myself that I have to be happy because, after all, it’s Christmas. I can’t be down in a season known for hope, joy, and cheer. But let us neither forget what Advent really means nor use Advent to give shallow responses to deep concerns. Advent is not about pretending problems don’t exist so we can all look happy. It’s about something truer, something deeper.
Where people are well, there is no need for a physician. If humanity could, through sheer willpower, make themselves complete, whole and happy, there would be no need for a nativity. If the world were already bright, we would not anticipate the arrival of the Light of the World.
It was, however, in the midst of darkness, death, and hopelessness that light broke through. It was always winter and never Christmas when Christ came on the scene. Heartache, hopelessness, and sin are the very reasons he came. Thus, Advent isn’t something to celebrate only during encouraging, upbeat years. No, it’s something we need especially during difficulty and chaos.
“It was always winter and never Christmas when Christ came on the scene.”
Whether or not I feel the Christmas cheer this year, my soul needs this season. My heart needs to be reminded that it was in the unlikeliest of ways that God stepped down to earth to overcome evil. He didn’t march in on a horse with an army (that will come later) but he entered our world as a baby in a manger. And his ultimate victory wasn’t achieved in a way that looked hopeful, instead it was through the bleeding Savior nailed to a cross. After Jesus died, the disciples were likely the most confused, lost, and hopeless, and it is in that place that they experienced the risen Christ.
Persevering in Hope
The reality of Christ’s conquering life, death and resurrection provides a hope that transcends the worst of circumstances; however, it doesn’t take away temporary pain and difficulty. The fact that Christ has defeated death doesn’t take away from the sting felt by the death of a loved one. The promise that Christ will ultimately undo all wrongs doesn’t mean there isn’t hurt when someone sins against us. Knowing that God will one day dress his bride with radiant splendor doesn’t mean that we won’t be hurt by believers here and now. The coming reversal of all sickness doesn’t take away from the reality that we face serious illnesses in this life. These realities cause us to groan and long and wait, which is what Advent is all about. Maybe it’s in our most confusing, lost, and hopeless years that we are most primed to experience the goodness of the risen Christ.
Because even in these difficult years there is hope. Even in the darkest times there is a glimmer of light foreshadowing the floodgate of bright glory that will one day be revealed. We long for the day when sickness and pandemics are no more. Soon, there will be a king who always makes the perfect decision and whose approval rating stays at 100%. Watching the news will no longer lead to depression (I suspect cable news won’t be there at all). Division will be healed, hurts will be reconciled, and tear ducts won’t be needed. Such hope helps us persevere. Such hope transcends circumstances. Such hope cannot be lost or taken away by any person or earthly power. And that, fellow believer, is worth celebrating.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
James Williams serves as Associate Pastor at FBC Atlanta, Texas, and as a GCD staff writer. He and his wife, Jenny, are blessed with four children and are actively involved in foster care. He is passionate about beholding the beauty of our Lord and helping others do the same. He enjoys writing, running, and gardening. You can follow James on Twitter or his blog where he writes regularly.