God's Mistletoe

I noticed that the tone of my latest blogs was veering into the melancholy. I blame it on winter. The days are colder and darker and the December doldrums always seem to burrow into my soul. But a couple days ago, I started listening to Christmas music and I'm better now. If nothing else, Christmas is a wonderful anti-depressant. Even if we discovered that Jesus had been born in the summer, I doubt we would reschedule His birthday. Christmas is such a timely, welcomed distraction from the grim weather. The color is fading from Oregonian faces and everyone is bundled like 7-layer burritos. And in the dead of winter, Christmas remains the heart's fireplace.

It's always surreal to hear songs about Jesus being played in the most godless places around town. Like it or not, the first Christmas is still singing. That meek and mild love story simply cannot be silenced. I smile whenever I hear the Salvation Army workers ringing those bells, evidence that Christmas hasn't been completely hijacked by commercialism. It's still about generosity. It's still about coming together. It's still about Jesus. Our world is standing under the mistletoe, unable to escape the kisses of God. Everywhere you turn, there's Christmas.

Two years ago, I begged my parents not to buy me anything. I wasn't boycotting Christmas, I just didn't need anything and didn't want my parents racking up credit card debt. They weren't hearing it. So in honor of Jesus's birthday, I received Guitar Hero 3. I rocked it for about two weeks before it ended up in the wasteland of forgotten Christmas toys. And yet maybe, just maybe, it was still worth it for my parents. Honestly, I'm not very good at receiving charitable love. I'm not sure why. It's either because I feel too proud or too unworthy or maybe a little bit of both. And yet, the transaction of love cannot be completed if it is not received. To deny someone the opportunity to show love is ultimately selfish. We were made to love and we find divine fulfillment in giving love to others. Love is like fresh air to our hearts, to be breathed in and out, to be given and received.

Every year, one big gift remains unopened in billions of households. The generous gift of grace, it is one gift that never loses its luster. It still offers saving love to one and all, young and old, rich and poor. It offers to pay off our soul's worrisome debt. But God's charitable love is worthless to those who will not take it from His hand. He loves to give. And who are we to deprive our Father of doing what He loves to do? As William Blake once said "We are here to learn to endure the beams of love." Just take it. Let God love you, every part of you, and maybe wish Him a Merry Christmas while you're at it.