Today is the first day of Christmas, the end of Advent. Happy Christmas to all! What I find interesting in our current society is that this day is seen as an end, whereas historically (and in the Christian calendar, certainly) it is seen as a beginning.
Christmas seems to start earlier and earlier, not only in the shops (which obviously view this time as a commercial godsend), but also in our homes. Trees and decorations are put up in November in some areas, and so by Christmas Day, people are quite tired of the lights and mess, and many start dismantling them way before Twelfth Night (traditionally the decorations and tree come down at Epiphany, 6th January.) Whilst it is entirely up to individuals when and how they celebrate the season, what we do need to remember is that Christmas is not an end. It comes relatively early in winter, and many suffer a real ‘down’ trend in mood as we face January and February, feeling that all the fun and festivity associated with the season are over, and now there is nothing to look forward to.
In truth, the fact that Jesus came to earth is a warming nugget of truth which lasts way beyond this week. His incarnation means that God is with us all the time. Immanuel with us warms every day and helps us through the bleak months of winter, when darkness seems to predominate. He is there in the sunshine and in the shadows, there to help us through every difficulty and trial as well as every celebration.
Whether you love celebrating each day of Christmas (as the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ encourages us to) or are secretly relieved to pack everything back up into the loft and resume normal service as soon as possible, the presence of God with us is lasting. Let today be a beginning, a time when you pause daily to remember the wonderful truth that Jesus Christ (who is the same yesterday, today and forever) is with us now always.
