Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!
I love Christmas! And I always have. The lights, candles, greens! My Mom would decorate the living room, the mantle, the bannister. We’d eat and celebrate for days. Guests would come over, we’d go to church; the whole thing felt festive and different.
Recently, someone remarked that their church was going Christmas caroling on December 31. And while seasonally appropriate, they pointed out that it really is quite exhausting to be the only ones who actually care about that.
His comments really resonated with me. And I started wondering when caroling would truly make sense. This thing we did regularly when I was young, and tried to do when I was a young adult. It really doesn’t work like it used to. It may not be about the day, but the caroling itself.
Christmas is a holiday full of such nostalgia, memory, and anticipation that we may not truly appreciate how much that stuff we valued fits into the moment that was. And that the present moment, full of its own attentions, hopes, and opportunities, may be attuned to something else.
I’m confident none of us will be caroling on Christmas Eve, with windchills below zero. And some may choose to stay home for the holiday. And we may miss out on some of what we find fun at Christmas time. But we need not miss out on joy. For all that Christmas does bring. That isn’t dependent on anyone’s calendar.
With love,
Drew