A Mature Christmas
Does it feel like Christmas has lost some of its magic? It does to me. The air used to feel different, every day special and seasonal. Now the December days are boxes to be checked off, desperately hoping the to-do list ends before the 25th. When I have the time to reflect, breathing in a choral carol as I gaze upon our lit but ornament-less tree, my thoughts inevitably turn to the lack of peace on earth, “for hate is strong and mocks the song. While it’s possible that Christmas has grown more commercial, complicated, and busy since my childhood--so many other things have--another possible truth is certainly at play: the magic of Christmas is for children. As an adult, you realize how much of the magic is designed for children. Practically speaking, adults are the ones making the magic happen. We see behind the scenes: the traffic, the lines, the dwindling bank accounts, the cooking, the wrapping, the calories… And we see beyond the scenes: the relational tension, the grief, the povert...