If you identify as a Christian, Easter is supposed to be the Super Bowl of holidays.
But it’s not. At least not for most. Christmas is the Super Bowl.
Christmas is the holiday when we can unabashedly intersect all of the Christian right-isms†† — right-thinking, right-feeling, right-living, right-guilting, right-judging — with all of the advantages of current western culture, such as materialism, overindulging, narcissism, and status. We just throw it all into the bowl with the butter and sugar, hit it with the whisk and a little heat, and 13 minutes later, we got tree-shaped justification cookies, plenty sweet enough to take the bitter edge off.
For me personally, and I think for many mid-life Christians, Christmas is complex. It’s definitely my favorite time of the year. I still get excited. Every year.
Yet, it drags along with it some very visceral stressors. The stressors of making those cookies plus the stressors of personal history. Existential experiences of living in this world. Memories that somehow hit harder during this season. I’ve even found myself thinking, “maybe I’m not such a fan of Christmas anymore.”
But I am. Even in moments of doubt, it’s never truly faded.
Because if we’re looking for it, Christmas gives us a gift. And this gift is available for all.
Underneath the complexity, the stress, and the hypocrisy is hope. Hope for unity. Hope for happiness. Hope for love. Hope for brighter days. Hope for salvation.
†† Not to be confused with politics
