Keeping Watch

In these first days of Advent, I find myself once again having an uneasy relationship with Christmas. Sentimentality and nostalgia capture my heart and I begin to despair that we will not have the perfect Christmas. It is easy to become cynical. Therapists say that a common experience this time of year is fear and anxiety. However, in reflection I know that the first Christmas was also a time of despair, fear, anxiety and hopelessness. Then the voice of the angel chorus came with the awesome words: “Do not be afraid!” (Luke 2:10) The prophetic words were fulfilled…and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23) With God's presence, the love of God had and does overcome fear. Once again, the babe in the manger is a sign of hope. So, in this time of “keeping watch”, my prayerful request is that the spirit of Christmas full of love, peace and hope capture my heart.