What Christmas is Truly About, by Pastor John Beckman

The holidays represent many things to many people. For many it is a time of family, shopping, celebration and time set aside to center on something more profound than what our work-a-day lives can offer. Of course for many it is a time away from work. For others, it is their busiest season of the year. For others, this time of the year is incredibly difficult with our culture screaming shop, consume, play, family, celebrate; losses can be magnified and memories can be difficult. 　　

I am a Christian. I was born and baptized in the Swedish Lutheran church back in the days of black and white television. I remember as a child watching my favorite comic strip come to life with A Charlie Brown Christmas debuting in 1965. I remember hoping for snow, a white Christmas. I remember hanging stockings and decorating our Christmas tree with special ornaments that had been carefully wrapped from the year before. I remember my Grandma's gentle smile. I remember the smell of our tree and our dog getting a special bone because it was Christmas. 　

Over time, life, laughter, joy and tears changed me and my focus. The story and the meaning of Christmas changed. The lists of wants changed. As a child I so wanted an erector set, then a GI Joe, then later, an electronic football game where you turned it on the little plastic players actually moved! But life changed. My wants, my needs changed. Stuff didn't fill the gap that I often felt. 　People did. But sometimes even people failed. The focus changed from the tinsel of the season to deeper stuff - deeper needs. The story of Santa Claus changed into the real meaning of the story so eloquently spoken by Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas wearing his blanket as a shepherd's hoodie with a spotlight shining on him as he simply read the account as found in the Gospel of Luke: 　

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men (all people! - my translation).

Then Linus simply ends and tells his friend: That is what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown. 　

The meaning gets into your bones. The Savior, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel (God with us) would grow up and call those who would follow him to do the impossible: love each other, forgive each other, reach beyond their understanding of who is in or who is out and know God created all, God loves all. No one is outside his grace and love. This one, this baby, would eventually challenge the here before understanding of God and God's amazing love. He confounded the best minds of his day, welcoming those who were beyond the pale, the outcast, the unclean, the ailing, offering a new way, a new life, a new understanding of priorities. This baby, turned man, would eventually go to his death to confirm that no matter what pain, or loss, gift, joy, laughter, giggles - God is with us, blessing us and filling that gap that no one, or nothing else can. 　

Its called the Gospel in my Faith System. It is Good News not only during this time of year but each and every day. That is what Christmas is all about to me. 　Merry Christmas!

*Pastor John Beckman is Pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church & School, located at 1180 Lynwood Drive, Novato. Christmas Eve services will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.