Christmas has come. The key is to make it permanent in our hearts. Christmas is not one day a year, but an eternal epiphany in our hearts. Christmas is the manifestation of the love that is always near us, always within us, always in our grasp, always coming anew into our hearts. Christmas is the joy of loving, of giving, of knowing that our love is building up in concentric spheres outward from our hearts.
This is why we pray that the light of Christ’s love “enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives.” Our response is to rejoice with singing and feasts and gifts, mostly gifts. A jar of homemade preserves, a box of cookies, a warm shirt, a good book. The gifts we give at Christmas are manifestations of loving care. Not just presents, but love given and received—love built up in concentric spheres outward from our hearts.
We celebrate the birth of a child who is God who is incarnate among us, who is love within us. What we have to remember is that each of us was born a manifestation of love and loving. Christmas is about reminding us that “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!'” (Galations 4:6). We are to retain this childlike love forever, building it in concentric spheres through life. Christmas is the celebration of the manifestation of love in life forever. This is why (John 1:5) “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Christmas, the coming of love incarnate, not only was, but is, always has been and always will be.
It is snowing in the Willamette Valley today. We will have to hurry out to run an errand before it gets more intense, because, as I keep reminding my husband, we’re not in Wisconsin anymore! Still, it will be a great day for a roaring fire and a big pot of chili. Not only as good eats, but as a loving antidote to our Christmas feast of smoked salmon mouse and roasted goose with fruit stuffing and apple-cranberry pie.
We will wear our new warm shirts, gifts of love and caring. We are warmed not only by the fabric but by the knowledge they were given with love. We will celebrate with our new tv (Santa had to save us when the old one went the day before Christmas!). We will hug and keep warm together because that’s what families do. We will celebrate the joy of our 44th Christmas together. We will revel in the love that life in the 21st century has brought to LGBT couples and their logical families.
We are sharing our love with our friends as best we can in pandemic mode. We send you our love. We wish you a joyous Christmastide. We embrace you with the love God has incarnated in us, building ever outward in concentric spheres.
Amen.
First Sunday after Christmas all years RCL 2021 (Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Psalm 147 or 147:13-21; Galatians 3:23-25;4:4-7; John 1:1-18)
©2021 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.
Dimensions of Reality: glbt Christian spirituality 