Short Term Memory Loss

Baxter seems to have a lot of patience. When he wants a drink from the spigot in the shower, he jumps onto the side of the tub and sits there until I come along. Sometimes he jumps all the way into the tub, and sits there. Of course, if I don’t come along too quickly, he will start to call me. I suppose that he is saying: “I want a drink.” “Pay attention!” “Where are you?” If I don’t get to turn on the faucet for some reason, he will eventually stop yelling and jump out of the tub to settle for a few licks from his water bowl. When this happens, he doesn’t seem to hold a grudge or set out to ambush me at the next opportunity. He just forgets about it and moves onto his bed for his next nap. Baxter isn’t one to hold a grudge when he doesn’t get his way. There are benefits to having a cat’s short memory.

What about us? How do we handle past hurts, insults or snubs? Do we hold onto them until whatever gave rise to the affront is settled? Do we hold onto the infraction and bring it back whenever the opportunity arises for us to do so? Once speared by another, we keep them on the hook for as long as possible, rubbing their noses in what they did, and never allowing the dust to settle on the disrespect we were rendered. We like to be hurt and offended. We refuse to forget and move on. We mark off our lives and their relationships by the wounds we bear and refuse to let heal.

Lucky for us, God has a different approach. If He would hold a grudge and never forget, never move beyond the betrayal, never allow the scars to form and be forgotten, Christmas would never have happened. Rather than turn His back on humanity’s sin and infidelity, God comes closer to us, so close as to become one with us in our sinful, frail and distorted condition.

Jesus is the sign of God’s short memory and persistent desire to connect with us. Like an unwanted kitten we might push outside to fend for itself and we find at the door the next time we open it, God won’t go away despite our insults and rejection. He settled for a manger to be born, if that were what it took to come close. He accepted lowly shepherds and unknown strangers for visitors, if they were the only ones who noticed His incarnation. Our humble God will never give up on His stubborn, arrogant and disrespectful children. He just keeps forgetting the wrongs we inflict on Him through each other and embraces us again.

This Christmas, what do we need to forget, so that we can celebrate the birth of divine love in our midst? Baxter always comes back for another drink from the spigot, no matter how often it might be dry. He knows that eventually refreshing, lifegiving water will flow for him, if he can forget about the times it didn’t. The same holds for us. A shortened memory of life’s hurts will allow us to drink deeply of life’s blessings, and to realize God’s unrelenting love for us.

That’s the true meaning of Christmas and the gift that is offered to each of us. Will we accept it?