For some people, Christmas is not a time of joy. It’s a painful reminder of loss: family and friends who have passed away and are no longer with us, financial difficulties which make the expected celebrations simply impossible, broken relationships and tensions which have to be navigated, meaning each day feels like walking on eggshells, with loneliness and a sense of failure the predominant emotions. The expectation of joy does not always match the reality of our actual lives, and this is why this time of year can be so painful for many.
This is why it is so important to read the Biblical account of the first Christmas, rather than basing our beliefs on the sanitised cartoon version we find in the media. Mary and Joseph were not at home; they were in a large town, without friends and family, without adequate accommodation. They experienced the joy of new life in less-than-ideal circumstances and before long were forced to flee to Egypt as refugees because Herod was intent on killing their son. Historians believe that Jesus spent the first three-and-a-half years of his life in Egypt as a refugee. There was no benefits’ system there; Joseph would have the anxiety of finding work to support his family in a foreign country. Just like today, life was difficult for them.
Yet in the midst of these difficulties, pressing in on their everyday lives, there was the joy of knowing God. God spoke to Joseph in dreams, warning him of the difficulties and then reassuring him it was safe to return home. (Matthew 2:13-23) God was still there with them, even in the midst of difficulties. He is still here with us, even in the midst of our difficulties. Joy can co-exist alongside difficulties and trials, because God is with us.
