Monday December 3, 2018

 

There are many components to a perfect Christmas season. You have to be in the right place, at the right time, with the appropriate weather, people, food, music, and of course the perfect gift to name a few. Often times however, the most important component of all goes missing in most Christmas celebrations. The reason for this is that everyone has a story to tell; a story about someone who hurt them, lied to them, mistreated them, or in some way wronged them. When this component goes missing, it distorts and complicates everything. Therefore, situations and relationships that should be resolved go unresolved. One would expect to find this component in most Christian homes but it often times is absent in the lives of believers as it is in the rest of the world.

 

The central part of the Christmas story is the fact that God sent his son into the world to deliver and gift this absent component to everyone. But when you analyze this component it appears to be weak even foolish and to incorporate this component into our situations and relationships would be a grave mistake. Yet, this component that seems so weak and foolish is so powerful that it has the potential to unite persons that are feuding with each other. It is so powerful that it can demolish racial and theological differences. It is so powerful that it can heal broken hearts, communities, cities, nations, and even the world.

 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of graceand truth. – John 1:14 NIV

 

When Jesus dwelt among us, this component poured out so abundantly that it perturbed those who felt they did not need it. It perturbed them so much that they crucified him. Many others however ran to him by multitudes because this missing component was their only hope. And sadly, this component will go missing in most Christmas celebrations this holiday season.

 

Grace is the central and most important component of Christianity. Yet, often times it is completely absent from our Christian walk. Grace is what we desire when our guilt is exposed but it is what we least want to extend when someone else’s guilt is exposed, especially when they’re guilty of harming or injuring “me”. Grace may not have been what we most desired but it is definitely what we needed most and still need to this day. Grace means to freely offer others what they least deserve. For some this may be foolishness but for others it is liberating and transformational. So go ahead and make it a perfect Christmas this year, but don’t forget the most important component in your Christmas celebration.