A Meditation on Christmas, Feast of the Nativity

You likely hope to find in me qualities you associate with being a good friend, just as I hope to find these in you. Perhaps we are hard-wired to expect goodness and kindness from others, and feel disappointed--or devastated--when we do not find them. 

Looked at through the lens of Christian theology, such expectations could be said to be rooted in the understanding that we humans are created in the image of God. We expect to see something of God in each other, and feel let down when that is not the case. We want friends to care about us with some of the qualities we associate with divine friendship. As children, we hope for mothers and fathers who are healthy, who can convey life-nurturing structure and care. As citizens, we hope our leaders can govern with compassion and wisdom. When qualities like these come through, we are expressing our divine origins. 

I am entirely certain that, in my own case, these qualities are often obscured. I come from a species, culture, society, family, and a life of personal choices, that conspire to distort the pure image and render it unrecognizable. This fact contributes to the passing on of a tragic heritage, in which our images of God become more and more confused and distorted, because the bearers and transmitters of that image (we ourselves) do a poorer and poorer job of embodying it for each other. This contributes to a vicious cycle. 

This brings us to an ancient way of reflecting on the meaning of the birth of Christ. The reason Christ came, according to this view, is so that this image of God, which has become so obscured in us, could be renewed--by coming into contact with the original, the prototype, of that image of God himself. The incarnation of Christ is the occasion of humanity coming into renewed contact with the seal and impress of the image in which it was made in the beginning. The celebration of this event is the opportunity to open ourselves to this incarnate reminder of who we are, but have forgotten and lost touch with. 

As part of this process, I apologize and ask forgiveness for ways in which I have perpetuated the distortion of God's image in myself. I also express my resolve to work towards being a truer bearer and conveyer of that image. 

I realize this expression of the meaning of Christmas may not be one that you share. Christmas may mean something very different to you, or mean nearly nothing at all. If so, I do not fault or begrudge you for that. I don't believe that puts you one iota out of step with the humanity we share together. I hope and pray that, whatever the day means or does not mean to you, that it may nonetheless be a good one for you, and that you find every blessing to help you in your own discovery of what it means to live a love-filled and fulfilling life. 

Merry Christmas!