Blue Christmas

Sparkling lights, wreaths of green, decorated trees, yard art of snowmen, Santa, reindeer, and nativities were everywhere she turned. Christmas music filled the airwaves. Shoppers hurried from store to store seeking the perfect gifts for everyone on their lists. The Christmas season was in full swing.

Retail stores offered the best price . . . the best deal . . . enticing everyone to buy more and more. Charities renewed their efforts to make people aware of the work they were doing and soliciting your help to meet their funding needs and goals. Everywhere you looked people were preparing for Christmas.

Yet not all faces were radiating with joy and excitement. Some faces wore lines of worry, tears, and heartbreak. Hospitals--filled with sick and dying people--seemed more somber than any other time of the year. Death . . . tragedy . . . shouldn't happen at Christmas. Yet it did.

While most of the world seemed to try to outdo themselves with holiday cheer, others could only hear the words Elvis sang:

I'll have a blue Christmas without you; I'll be so blue just thinking about you; Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree; Won't be the same dear, if you're not here with me. And when those blue snowflakes start falling; That's when those blue memories start calling; You'll be doing all right, with your Christmas of white; But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas.

Hearts break with loss--whether a death, a job, income, hopes, dreams--hearts break, even at Christmas.

It was no different when Jesus was born. Families were forced to travel--even when they couldn't afford to do so to be counted in a census. There were many without enough food. Transportation was not comfortable or quick. Mary, the mother or Jesus was blessed to be able to ride a donkey while in her final days of pregnancy, while Joseph walked alongside her.

Finally arriving at their destination there were no loving arms to embrace and comfort them. No one was waiting to greet them with a warm meal and soft bed. Instead they had to search for lodging--and none was to be found. Finally, one person took pity of the young couple and allowed them to stay in the barn with the animals--not really a pleasant place to give birth, but it was out of the wind, weather, and watchful eyes of others.

Mary was about to give birth--without the comfort of her mother near. She had no midwife to coach and comfort her. She and Joseph were alone. With everyone gathering in their hometowns, why was no one helping them? Had they turned their backs and shunned them? Their hearts had to be breaking as they felt isolated and alone. It was a blue Christmas.

Yet from their "blueness" came great joy. A child was born--healthy and whole. Angels ministered to the young family. Miraculous events began to unfold. Life did not become perfect or one of ease. However, somehow the blue's receded in the knowledge of God's love and provision.

Today, we try to make everything perfect for the holidays. We want the perfect décor, the perfect gifts, the perfect event so that we can celebrate. Often we tend to tamp down and ignore the pain of loss we may feel so that everything appears to be perfect. That isn't reality.

Christmas is a time to celebrate--but what is it that we celebrate? False joy? Wealth? Perfect families and relationships? Or perhaps, just perhaps we should instead take a moment to feel the blue; to ponder on what Christmas means; to acknowledge that life is not always fair or easy. Perhaps we need to experience the blue so that we can reevaluate the "what and who." Perhaps, Christmas should start with the blue so that we can appreciate the joy in simple terms and put away the fake--the false posturing.

Luke 2:19 states: "Mary was keeping within herself all these things (sayings), weighing and pondering them in her heart." I wonder if she struggled with her own Christmas blues.

Loving, comforting God, help us not to lose ourselves in the hustle and bustle of activity. Help us to acknowledge what we feel and not force emotions and activities for the sake of appearance. Embracing God, lead us through the hard times--finding joy, peace, and love in simple expressions and deep meaning. Sustaining God, hold us when we are blue. Celebrating God, thank you for loving us enough to come for us--may we follow you, your ways, and your star will light our path. So be it. Amen.