509 ‘Tis the Season to Be Jolly?
‘Tis the season to be jolly – at least that’s what the Christmas carol sings over the radio. However, countless people are groaning: ‘Tis the season to be worried …depressed …lonely …angry …scared …isolated …in-debt …lost …stressed.
“I can’t be cheerful when the world’s climate is changing so drastically that humans may become extinct.”
“I’m afraid that Christmas may not survive Islam’s relentless conquest of the world’s cultures and populations.”
“How can I be happy with Bush in the Whitehouse and our troops in that terrible war?”
“My family situation is so bad that I just know Christmas is going to create a blow-up.”
“Oil reserves have peaked, banks are about to collapse, our national debt is epidemic. Santa isn’t coming to town, a depression is.”
“No one visits or even calls me on Christmas. The holidays suck!”
No wonder depression, suicide, violent crime, binge drinking, compulsive eating and reckless spending replace so many a fa, la, la, la, la; la, la, la – la – la’s.
If you can’t see Christmas through the forest of your fear and sadness, I want to help. I suppose I could repeat the message given to Jesus’ mother, Mary; the impoverished, unwed, pregnant, refugee teen who lived in a society that oppressed women and was occupied by an equally oppressive foreign power. Talk about troubles; yet God told her that she had nothing to fear.
But since that Christmas word doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, let me go to something Jesus said at the beginning of his ministry. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34).
“But God isn’t doing anything,” I can hear you object, “that’s why I’m so bummed out.”
Ah, but you missed Jesus’ point. He said, give your attention to what God is doing. You’re focused only on what isn’t happening. You need to change your view. Look up. Look out. Look around. Force yourself out of that dark place you’re trapped in and get a fresh new perspective.
Don’t think about who hasn’t visited or called you; go visit or call someone. Worrying about global warming does nothing; find a group of like-minded folks and become involved. Instead of being afraid of Muslims, befriend some and find out what they’re afraid of.
The Christmas message isn’t that our lives will become trouble free and the world a perfect place. No, it is that we don’t have to be consumed by our troubles, and as a result we can not only start to see what God is doing, we can be part of what God is doing.
So consider me your Clarence (George Bailey’s guardian angel in “A White Christmas”). You have much to live for and much to give. I know it isn’t easy to force yourself to see things anew, but it can’t be worse then living in the dark funk that’s consuming your holiday jolly.
Here’s to a new perspective. Here’s to a Merry Christmas. Here’s to Fa, la, la, la, la; la, la, la – la – la.
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