The Magic and Mystery of Christmas

I wrote the following for our church's Advent devotional booklet.  It is today's devotion.

When I was a small child, Christmas was a time filled with magic, mystery, and wonder.  I eagerly awaited the arrival of that jolly, mysterious man in the red suit, Santa Claus.  One year I was certain that I heard the footsteps of reindeer on our roof as I lay in bed on Christmas Eve.  However, Santa was not the only magical part of Christmas for me.  Each year we would dress up in our Christmas best and head to our Methodist Church for the Christmas Eve service.  Following a wonderful service of music and hand-held candles, my family took the long way home.  We sought out beautiful Christmas lights and displays with Santa.  Our ultimate destination, and the destination of many other people, was a very special nativity display at the home of Sundar Shadi.  Mr. Shadi was Hindu, not Christian.  He had come to the United States as a young man, an immigrant from India.  The display was his way of saying thanks to our community.

For me, this nativity scene was magical.  You could not actually see the Holy Family.  What we saw was the town of Bethlehem at the top of the hill.  A large star hovered above it.  There were angels and shepherds with their flocks plus wise men with camels.  Christmas music was playing and there was a sign with a passage from Luke.  This scene always filled me with wonder.  Mr. Shadi’s gift of love was a reminder of God’s greatest gift of all.

Through the years I have tried to keep my Christmas focused on what is most meaningful to me instead of trying to create what retailers tell us is the “perfect” Christmas.  Gifts are not a big deal anymore, although I do enjoy making or finding something special for a loved one.  No matter where we are, it is important to find a candlelight Christmas Eve service.  I have begun collecting nativity scenes from all over the world, something that has brought me great joy.  At Christmas I want to celebrate the mystery that is God and God’s most wondrous gift, Jesus, a gift of love.

Holy God, this year let us be filled with the magic and mystery of Christmas.  Let us celebrate your wondrous gift of love and spread your light for all to see.  Amen