On Christmas Morning

Contemplation can help even the most pressured recapture the joy of Christmas.

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe not. But there is a pressure that bubbles underneath all the other pressures of Christmas. It is the self-inflicted obligation to feel ‘spiritual’ on Christmas day. To feel an appropriate amount of gratitude for the world-turning miracle that was God born as a baby boy. To feel joy and peace and goodwill.

Let’s begin by releasing ourselves from this false guilt. Of course, we cannot feel the vast measure of what God gave humanity at Christmas—it is surely more than our minds can contemplate or our hearts feel. But having released ourselves of the burden to fully experience Christmas, we may be surprised to find that Jesus has been there all along.

‘Contemplation is a sudden gift of awareness, an awakening to the real within all that is real … a present from God, as a free gift of love,’ says Thomas Merton. May we see the ‘real’ within all our comings and goings this Christmas. There may be surprising moments of contemplation that come to you as the kids jump on your bed at 6 am, as presents are opened, pancakes are cooked, a meal is enjoyed, cricket is played … God is revealing something of himself in all these rituals.

But contemplation can also be a mindful way of connecting with God. If you can find a still, small place before the busyness of the day, this contemplation may enrich all that Christmas brings to you and your family. Dip into what resonates with you …

Begin with prayer

Find a comfortable place to sit, with your back straight. Take a few moments and close your eyes, preparing yourself to listen to what God may be saying to you.
Notice your breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. Use these or similar words: ‘Here I am, Lord. Here I am.’ When you are ready, open your eyes and pray.

The light shines in the darkness

Steve Connor, of Loyola Press, has written this story for Christmas contemplation. Enjoy it and ponder at your leisure …

Imagine you are walking along a country road at night. You see so many stars that you cannot stop looking up. It reminds you of when you were a child and would lie on the grass in the summer and look up at the brilliant night sky. Though it’s dark, you are not afraid. In the distance, you notice a warm, yellow glow of light coming from a house. You are drawn to the house. As you walk up the path, you feel like you may be intruding, but you knock on the door anyway. Something is drawing you to this place. A small older woman answers the door. She is bent over from arthritis. Her fingers are gnarled. She looks up at you. Smiling, she says, ‘Please come in. I’ve been expecting you.’ You wonder how she knows you. What do you say to her?

She invites you to sit at the small kitchen table. There are place settings for two. ‘Are you hungry?’ she asks. ‘I’ve baked bread and made some jam. I’ll put the kettle on.’ You look around her tiny home. You see pictures of people everywhere. Perhaps they are her family, you think. Her home is warm and cozy. You are feeling so comfortable. She turns to you. Her face is so alive. Her eyes are bright and clear. She sits down across from you and asks you, ‘What are you looking for on this dark night?’ What do you say to her? What does she say back to you?

She gets up to make the tea. She brings back to the table slices of warm bread, butter, and jam. The tea smells like wildflowers. You sit in silence, buttering your bread and spreading it with jam. ‘You may feel lost,’ she says. ‘But you’re not.’ Are there places in your life you feel lost?

The woman looks into your eyes and tells you, ‘You’re not lost, because I’m always with you. You may not feel me, or know that I’m there, but I am.’ You gaze into her eyes and feel you are being wrapped in her arms. ‘No one is ever lost. I am with them like a guiding star.’ What do you want to say to her? Is there something you want to give to her at this moment?

The sun begins to rise. You can see the soft dawn light separating the night from the day. She turns to you with a smile that is filled with joy. ‘The light led you here through the darkness. Now the light of the sun will lead you on. My light is always here for you anytime, anywhere. Remember, you are always walking in the light.’

You get up to go but feel like you want to stay. She smiles and opens the door for you. The sun is bright. You walk out the door and turn back to see her surrounded by the warm glow of the sun. What do you want to say to her? As you walk away, the warm, life-giving light of the sun surrounds you.

Who are the people in your life that have shown you the light when you felt lost or surrounded by darkness? Give thanks for them today, when the Light of the World was born. ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.’ (John 1:5)

Put yourself in the story

You are probably familiar with the nativity scene. See it again in your mind’s eye as you think it may have really been—the imperfection, the messiness, the hay, mud and manure. There is Joseph and Mary, exhausted, cradling their new-born baby. There are the humble shepherds. And there are the wealthy wise men bringing their gifts. Place yourself in this scene. Who are you? What does the presence of this baby mean to you?

‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given … And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6). Which of these names resonates with you? What is the God of this name saying to you? Close your eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Bring your thoughts to God in prayer.

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by Ingrid Barratt (c) 'War Cry' magazine, Christmas 2015, pp 10-11.
You can read 'War Cry' at your nearest Salvation Army church or centre, or subscribe through Salvationist Resources.