Christmas disillusionment

I love to read Calvin and Hobbes's comic strips written by cartoonist Bill Watterson.  The main characters in this strip are Calvin, a six-year-old boy, and his (toy) tiger, Hobbes.  In one story, Calvin makes a long list of his expected gifts from Santa.  His Mom takes the list and reads it with much apprehension.  She knows that Calvin will be a sad little boy on Christmas day because she cannot buy any of the items on that list!  And that got me thinking, will I be happy or sad on Christmas day.  The level of joy at Christmas is directly related to what we seek at Christmas.  What would make your Christmas wonderful and satisfying?  Think about it.  Is it finding the right present to give or getting the present we have been hoping for?  Or is it buying a grand silk sari and expensive gold ornaments?  The problem with all these is that they can leave us disappointed and disillusioned.

How, then, can we experience tangible joy this Christmas? 

Our joy depends on what we seek.  The Magi looked for Jesus and were filled with joy when they found Him.   Christmas, for them, was an opportunity to worship Jesus.  Our happiness also depends on where we look.  The Magi went to the palace looking for Jesus.  They could not find Jesus in Herod's palace.  We may be disillusioned if we make gifts as the reason for our joy.  Our joy should depend on what we can give others.  The magi came to see Jesus bearing gifts.  The gifts they gave were entirely appropriate.  They presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  They were all expensive gifts involving much sacrifice.   We ought to give the gift of our love and kindness to our friends and family.  We ought to give the gift of our help to those in need.  We ought to give the gift of forgiveness to those who have hurt us.  Sharing such gifts will result in a joyous and meaningful Christmas for us.

My friend, if you have not given your heart to Jesus yet, today is the day of salvation.  This opportunity will not last forever.  If our goal this Christmas is to worship Jesus, we will not be disillusioned.   Let us give our time to our families, compassion, and love for the hurting, and help those in need.  When we look for the right thing in the right place, we will have true joy at Christmas!  I wish you all a blessed and Christ-centred Christmas.

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