Growing up in California, snowy Christmas was a phenomenon of movies like “Home Alone,” and Hallmark greeting cards. Still, there are all kinds of signs I would look for that Christmas was on the way: hyped-up advertisements for new toys, store and sidewalk decorations, pageant rehearsals, and wrapping paper.
Christmas usually comes after a stretch of great anticipation — the season of Advent, the end of term, the decoration of the tree, the arrival of relatives. But the shepherds, although they had awaited a Messiah their whole lives, were rather startled when the angels arrived. They didn’t see this coming!
The angel says to the shepherds,
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you…” (Luke 2:11)
Today! Not in 40 days, not at the end of the year, not even tomorrow. The Christ child comes to you now, in this moment.
What would it look like to celebrate Christmas when we’re not expecting it, the decorations are packed away, and angels are the last thing on our mind? Without all the trappings of Christmas we have come to know, what is a sign to you that Christ has come?
Three Holy Days
In our tradition, we make space on Maundy Thursday to remember central parts of our faith story. We hear about the...
