“I just love Christmas!”
That line, from the 2009 play Christmas Belles at the Ritz Community Theater, was uttered by the lovable Raynerd Chism (Matt Cross).
Raynerd would, from time to time in the midst of the chaos of the play, pop in and remind people that we should love Christmas, too. People always quoted that line.
I do love Christmas. I was born days after Christmas and the family lore is that I came home in a stocking. So you see, the Christmas season has always been a time of celebration for me — gatherings, gifts, good food and the good news of Jesus.
We all have a simple understanding of Christmas. It’s a time to set aside your cares and focus on the deeper meaning of life. No, it’s not the gifts you’ll receive this year, but it’s a time in the deep dark still of the night to consider who made you, why you are here and the value that you carry as God’s creation.
Now I’ve come to understand that Christmas is a celebration of the mystery. The mystery is described in Colossians 3:26-27 as the “mystery of the ages: Christ in you the hope of Glory.” God hid the mystery of the incarnation from even the choicest of Heaven’s angels until it was revealed in his son Jesus and then it was revealed only to those who truly believe.
Knowing that Christ incarnate has chosen to be born into my heart and into my very existence is the essence of why “I Just Love Christmas.” It’s a reminder to us all that the gift to us of Jesus helps us behold the Father, and as scripture states “to see the fullness of God dwell in Him.” When we see Jesus, we see the Father. When you’ve seen the Father, your life is changed.
My hope and prayer for my fellow citizens is that you too will love Christmas and that you may know the greatest mystery, “Christ in You — the hope of glory.”
This gift is God’s gift for you this year.