What Are You Joyful About?
Despite the emphasis on joy in the Christmas season, for many it is not very joyful at all. Some are dealing with sickness, or many miss someone that’s no longer with us. For me, things have never quite been the same since my grandmother passed away back in 2000. We used to meet at my grandparents house every year on Christmas Eve, had a meal, and opened presents with my mother’s family. After my grandmother passed away, we have not had Christmas with them ever since. Christmas is much smaller now; only my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law get together to celebrate. For others, the season is a lonely time. Maybe you are single and wish you had someone to share the holidays with. Maybe you are older and your kids have grown up and moved away, or you are the only one left in your family. A couple of years ago the European grocery chain Edeka put out this touching commercial. It’s hard to not feel for this guy as he spends the holiday alone.
Not long ago, my church started a ministry at Central Prison in Raleigh, NC. Last week we held two Christmas services at the prison; one for general population and one for death row offenders. I was asked to play percussion for the death row service. This was an eye opening experience for me for many reasons, but the main one I want to focus on is joy. How do you speak a message of Christmas joy to men on death row? Some prisoners have the hope of eventually getting out and being reintroduced to society, but these men don’t have that hope. They will only get out in a casket… yet some of them did have joy and hope in the season because they had come to the realization that knowing Jesus is enough despite their circumstances.
I think there is something we can learn from these men. For one, our situation could always be worse. True those men are paying the penalty for their mistakes, but are we really that different? Had I grown up in a different situation, I could have probably ended up on death row just like those guys. In the end we are all going to be held accountable for our mistakes before God. So whatever difficulties we face now, there is a bigger issue that needs to be resolved. This is one reason I think we all have something to be joyful about over Christmas.
The key to joy in the Christmas season is remembering what Christmas is all about. It’s not just about gifts and family, though those are certainly enjoyable things about the holiday. Christmas is an opportunity to reflect on Christ’s birth. Jesus changed the world whether you believe he was the son of God or not. But as a Christian, I believe that Jesus was born into the world through his virgin mother, lived a sinless life, and then went on to die on a cross so I can be forgiven for my sins, reconciled to God, and have a future hope of eternity with him. Without his birth, his death and my hope would not be possible. Because of this I can have joy because I am able to see the big picture. No matter what is going on, I know that Jesus will one day make all things right. That gives me joy and hope. So whatever you are going through in the Christmas season… whether that is sickness, loss, or even imprisonment, you can have hope and joy because of what Jesus did. Don’t let the negatives of the season drag you down. Instead be thankful for what Jesus did, and let that bring you joy as you reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.
