Lost & Found; Just Like Me

Scripture – Matthew 1:21

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.

I woke up one recent, beautiful, late autumn morning, cleaned up, and trudged into my closet, looking for something to wear. My personal calendar hangs down from my closet shelf. I hang it there so that it stares me right in the face first thing. Can’t miss it. That way, if I’ve got something important to do that day, I’m sure to see it.

At first glance on this particular morning, I noticed it happened to be December First. Ah, the Christmas season. Joy to the world, and all that stuff. But after I selected one of my many pairs of well-worn blue jeans and headed out to face the world, one thing became abundantly clear.

Christmas, at least my concept of it, was missing. I couldn’t see it. Couldn’t feel it.

Where could it be? I looked for it on television, but all I saw were commercials for toys and tools and clothes and food and……..lawyers. I looked for it in front yards, but all I found were Santas and reindeer and penguins and toy soldiers and all manner of bright and colorful lights.

I listened for it on the radio, but all I heard were songs about rockin’ around the Christmas tree, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, partridges in pear trees and grandmas who got run over by a reindeer. I looked for it on social media, but folks seemed too busy posting about politics and enquiring as to whether anybody knew of a plumber who would work cheap. I looked for it in my mailbox, but all I found were pamphlets from Joe Namath and Jimmie Walker and William Shatner trying to sell me a Medicare Advantage plan.

I looked for it on the internet, but instead I got emails from a nice fellow who wrote that he just inherited six million dollars and is willing to split it with me, if I will just send him a few thousand for legal expenses. I looked for it in the movie theater, but there were only films about super heroes, crazed serial killers and animated animals.

Yes, Christmas was missing. It had been hijacked by the marketers. But then, one day, I went to church and I heard the preacher tell me where to find it. He said it’s right there in the Bible. Always has been. It’s not missing at all. It’s just that we got too distracted to remember where it was. Where it’s always been.

Sure enough. It’s right there. In the Gospel of John it says “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Ah, now that sounds more like it to me. Welcome back, Christmas. I will try never to lose track of you again.