Parties

 December 25, 2021

Holidays are always difficult for me to write about. For example, I can’t think of anything about Christmas that hasn’t already been said much better by someone else. We gathered as a family before the Christmas Eve service, and again today to give our kids and grandkids the gifts we had bought for them. At times however, it often feels as if Christmas as a time of worship gets swallowed up by all the festivities, and that we don’t do nearly as much as we ought for those who are truly needy. 

Then I get to thinking about how Jesus approached life. He apparently liked a good party, and was often found where celebrations were going on. From a wedding in Cana of Galilee, to dinner parties with the much-maligned tax collectors, this man who lived simply and taught about generosity towards the poor was often at the center of gatherings where food and laughter were in abundance. And with the exception of that single wedding, there is no indication that any of the other parties had any spiritual significance. 

So today we celebrated, and again tomorrow we will worship. In the meantime, I’m lying in bed, writing, and pondering this gift of joy and happiness, and the parties that are part of that which binds us together as a family. As in the creation story, I can’t help but think that God looks upon it and says, “this is good.”