The Continuing Privilege of Christmas

In his introduction to The Message, a popular translation of the New Testament, Eugene Peterson made the following observation.

The arrival of Jesus signaled the beginning of a new era. God entered history in a personal way, and made it unmistakably clear that he is on our side, doing everything possible to save us. It was all presented and worked out in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It was, and is, hard to believe—seemingly too good to be true.

But one by one, men and women did believe it, believed Jesus was God alive among them and for them. Soon they would realize that he also lived in them. To their great surprise they found themselves living in a world where God called all the shots—had the first word on everything; had the last word on everything. That meant that everything, quite literally every thing, had to be re-centered, re-imagined, and re-thought.

If you are anything like me, I typically experience the post-Christmas “blahs.” Maybe its my system drying out from the abnormal amount of sweets, turkey, and other rich foods I consume during this time of year. Perhaps it’s simply the emotional adjustment of coming down from all the excitement—even stress—of the holidays.

At this early post-Christmas time, I need to hear these words from Peterson. They remind me that Christmas isn’t a punctuated event in history. Rather, it’s a continuing reality that we all have the privilege to experience. God has taken up residence among us in a personal, powerful way. And, as Peterson states, it literally means that “everything [has] to be re-centered, re-imagined, and re-thought.” May God grant us the grace to “renew our minds” as we set out to determine His perfect will for our lives. Such is the continuing privilege of Christmas!