Oh Holy Night

This is the beautiful and incredibly challenging blog written by our friend Tara that I mentioned in my last post. It has me thinking these days I hope it will do the same for you. Basically all I need to say in response to this blog post is Amen.

To read more of Troy and Tara's good stuff, as well as learning about their amazing work in Haiti, go here: http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/

Every direction you turn, the images of Christmas can be found. You need not look far to find beautifully thought out displays, tastefully decorated homes with glowing trees, and rows and rows of symmetrical twinkling lights. Step into one of these homes and the warm fire will greet you as you breathe in fresh scents of pine, ginger, and cinnamon. It is beautiful and clean and pristine.

Looking upon these exquisite arrangements one senses order and peace.

O Holy Night.

In contrast I'm reflecting on the untidy disorder of the lives of so many celebrating Christmas around the world this year. They experience vastly different surroundings and a much more simplified version of the annual celebration of the Christ child. It looks nothing like the photos in the magazines and has not even the tiniest hint of Martha Stewart. They don't string lights around a tree or build gingerbread houses; yet meek and mild - they celebrate.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

How did our celebration of this day become so clean and crisp? Where are the smells and sweat and tears that were most certainly a part of Mary and Joseph's journey? It begs the question: Do 'Better Homes and Gardens' scenes with sparkling lights and gorgeous decorations reflect the Christmas story best? Are the experiences of a frightened and embarrassed teenage mother-to-be anything like that? Do the suffering in our world experience Christmas more like Mary and Joseph did - or do we?

A thrill of hope - the weary world rejoices.

I'm reflecting on these two extremes. I love the exquisitely ordered and the beautifully arranged. I picture that sort of beauty in our Heavenly home.

While yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

I long for a day when disparity and injustice ends and brothers and sisters from every continent celebrate Jesus and His birth surrounded by love, joy, dancing, singing and immeasurable peace and beauty.

Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Truthfully I also find great inspiration in the simple, dingy, humble celebrations of those who struggle and toil without access to our unstained images of Christmas. I long for their stripped down total dependence on God. I pray for spiritual wealth like that of the materially poor. I want a Christmas less like Oprah's and more like theirs.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother; And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Our youngest daughter Lydia has been struggling with choices lately. When offered a choice of two things she'll often reply, "I want two ones." When she says that, she means I want them both. As I soak in Christmas this year I find myself wanting two ones. I want the perfect looking, delicious smelling, pain free and unpolluted Christmas and I want the dirty, stinky, humble, difficult, but miraculous Christmas that Mary and Joseph and the poor experience.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy name.

While I attempt to reconcile two very different Christmases, the celebrations only make sense to me in the context of good overcoming evil. God coming to earth in the form of His son Jesus, to live a sinless life, to die for us ... In His resurrection the promise that one day there will be beauty and justice for all. The end of death. The end of suffering.

O Holy Night.