Thursday, December 18, 2014

A Second Look

Before I got my first cat, Gatto, I never would have imagined how fascinating cats are. I took them for granted. They were those critters who seemed to multiply constantly, were aloof, manipulative, and selfcentered, and they lacked any desire for closeness and affection. Only when I began to live with a cat did I see a different side to them.

My first cat was abandoned for a while, so, except for me, she would hide from anyone coming into the house. She also hid whenever I would bring out a broom to sweep the floor. I figured she had some bad experiences with strangers and brooms that marked her reaction forever. Nevertheless, she was warm and affectionate when she felt safe, and she could distinguish me from everyone else who came to the house. She would welcome me home with a few rubs and meows.

Baxter was different from Gatto. I raised him to adulthood from a four month old kitten. He interacted with friendly people of all sorts, so he never shied away from strangers. He never had to deal with the hard knocks of the streets, but was pampered with food, soft beds and toys virtually all of his life. Baxter hates the sound of the vacuum cleaner and runs when it is turned on. I think it is the sound itself and not any bad memory that sets him running. The pitch hurts his sensitive hearing. Generally, Baxter is inquisitive, affectionate and a social butterfly. He figures anyone might have a treat for him so don’t ignore anyone who may come along.

Each of us brings to Christmas the traits we have developed through our experiences in life. Some of these may make us fearful and withdrawn with this celebration. The losses hurt too much. The memories are too painful to recall. We can’t wait for Christmas to be over, so that we can get back to normal. Others of us may just be too cynical about the season. The commercialism we witness colors our view on the whole celebration. We assume we know what Christmas is about, and we would rather avoid the whole thing. But our faith calls us to take a second look.

There is more to Christmas than what we first take for granted about it. God has reached into the human condition in a way that has married human and divine life irrevocably. Entwined with our earthly, physical and psychological dimensions is a spiritual one. It is often hidden from view at first glance, but if we penetrate the surface of our first impressions, we can find the divine impression God has made when the Word became flesh.

Behind the hurt of loss and grief is love. We feel the pain of deceased loved ones so much precisely because our love for them was authentic, faithful and everlasting. Our love doesn’t fade away, but with death it often feels empty and distressing. Christmas reminds us that these feelings aren’t the whole picture. They disguise the communion we still hold with our loved ones in God, and this season invites us to appreciate and give thanks for that wonder. Like the Christ child in the crib who looks poor and forsaken but for whom angels sing of the wonders of God’s love, so for those disciples who know pain and loss at Christmas, a deeper glory calls them to worship and give thanks to God.

Likewise, hidden within the commercialism of this season is a positive instinct sometimes misdirected. We spend on creature comforts for ourselves and others because we want to impress others with our taste and generosity, and send them a message about our regard for them. God did the same thing. As John’s Gospel declares: “For God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  living presents isn’t the problem. Forgetting what the giving represents is. Our gift-giving is a sign of God’s gift of the Spirit to us so that we can encounter the Christ present in every act of generosity and care. The commercialism of our culture wants to make a profit for the retail section of our economy. The commerce of God wants us to profit from Christmas by our living a life rich in incarnate grace.

So take a second look at Christmas. Get beyond the first impressions. Instead of fighting Christmas either inwardly or culturally, pray for God to transform what we see there to uncover God’s action in our lives. That will give us much to celebrate.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!