Have a Meaningful Christmas

"And this is what the Lord says, 'A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping; Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted because they are no more." Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:18

The words from Jeremiah are embedded in ancient Jewish history.  The writer of the gospel of Matthew quotes it for another reason.  When  King Herod learned that "the King of Israel" was born in Bethlehem, he ordered the death of all children ages two and under in that city. Thankfully for the Christmas story and the story of redemption, Mary and Joseph had already escaped with their newborn son.  But that first Christmas for hundreds was a horrible time.  You can only imagine that the annual remembrance was one of deep sadness and sorrow, and not one of celebration.

Christmas is not an easy time for millions of people.  The super  joy aspect of the music and festivities can have the opposite effect on some.  Instead of being a time of fun and feasting, it is a time of heartache and gloom.

Obviously if someone has just lost a child, as those mothers in Bethlehem did, then celebrating Christmas would be rather difficult.  But there are many much less dramatic reasons for having a difficult time during the holidays.  The list of reasons would be as long as the list of those suffering. My suggestion then for those people is to change "Have a Merry Christmas" to "Have a Meaningful Christmas".  If parties don't help, then don't go to them.  If the music in the mall makes you nuts then don't go to the mall.  If all the stress of cooking and shopping, is getting you down, then do less cooking and shopping. Find the things that make Christmas meaningful for you and spend your time doing those things. Isolate the things that get you down, and try to avoid them. I realize there are certain realities of responsibilities and obligations, but keep them to a minimum and avoid, as much as possible, the situations that drain your energy and your joy.

Many churches now offer  a Blue Christmas Service.  These services are for these people I'm talking about. The services include candlelight readings and comforting songs and hymns. The service is designed   for serenity and solace instead of cheerfulness and joy. Many churches have this service to coincide with the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year. A Blue Christmas Service may sound depressing to some, but if you're depressed already it's an opportunity to connect with kindred spirits and caring people in an organized way. Antidepressants only help those who need them.

So if "Merry Christmas" is a bit of a stretch, work on having a "Meaningful Christmas."  Reduce your expectations both for yourself and the season.  And remember that from that very first Christmas you are not alone in your distress.  Find the people who can help and let them help.  Light a candle. Say a prayer. Sing a song. Just because you can't have a Merry Christmas doesn't mean you can't have Christmas.