“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”
Mark 1:3, NKJV
It is the season of advent, a time when we focus our attention on the soon coming King, Jesus Christ. We are trying to figure out liturgy, songs, sermons, charity, and the like in our churches. It is also the season of the commercial holiday, a time when we focus on Christmas trees, stockings, snow, movies, holiday parties, and the like. We are trying to figure out gifts, meals, and family celebrations in this pandemic. While some would say that the “secular” rituals are not as important as the “sacred” rituals, there is another way to think about everything we do.
What if we did everything this advent/holiday season as though we were preparing the way for the love of Christ to be experienced in our lives? What if we did it up Jesus style? What if before every action, we asked the cliché question, “What would Jesus do?”
Our Christmas holiday traditions of giving gifts, sharing a meal, and all the rest can be pathways to Jesus. Even the most secular holiday ritual can make room for Jesus if we are intentional about sharing the love of Christ. Think about the person that needs your forgiveness. Think about the person who needs your surplus of food, money, or other resources. Think about the family member who needs to be brought back into the fold. Think about the rift that needs to be repaired. Think of all the myriad of ways that you can demonstrate the love and light of Christ and make a pathway for Jesus in your holiday celebrations.
We have 18 days to do some pathway building. If we start today, we have more than enough time to make the pathway straight for the love of Christ to infuse our holiday and transform our experience of Christmas, even during a pandemic. God doesn’t need the world to be right to share the light of Christ and we don’t need everything to be perfect to do things right. Let’s do this advent/holiday season Jesus style!