Life is messy. I don’t think this statement comes as a surprise to any of us – nor would we try to debate it. Whether we like it or not, we know that life comes with its ups and downs. Part of being human means experiencing joy, wrestling with struggles, navigating relationships with people we love, and reaching for hope in pain.
The reality is we can all think of something in our lives that we wish we could change. Maybe it’s a relationship with a family member that’s strained. Or a diagnosis or sickness no one saw coming. It could be financial hardships or a feeling of loneliness. Or maybe the loss of a loved one.
And this time of year, it can be particularly difficult to carry the painful circumstances of our lives. The mess feels like it’s in tension with what’s supposed to be the joy and peace of Christmas. Even our carols and songs for this time of year proclaim that it’s “the most wonderful time of the year” or that “all is calm, all is bright.”
I’ve been wrestling with this tension between the messiness of life and the hope of Christmas. How do we authentically celebrate the holiday even amid difficulties?
The answer, I think, is found in that first Christmas all those years ago, when Christ Himself entered messy circumstances. His conception, to the outside world, would appear less than ideal – His mother was a young teenage girl, not yet living with her betrothed. Christ was born into a poor family. Mary and Joseph were forced to travel to Bethlehem right before Mary was due. And Mary had to give birth in a dirty stable, where the only place to lay her child was a feeding trough.
Mary and Joseph persevered and endured the chaos of Christ’s birth even as they embraced the new gift of life that was the Christ child. They welcomed Him and loved Him.
And the celebration of Christmas – even when life is difficult – is a reminder to us for the rest of the year: that being pro-life does not mean ignoring the daily struggles and messiness of life. It means embracing and supporting life through every circumstance – we do not just welcome and celebrate life when it’s easy. We celebrate life always. Because we know that in the messiness, there is still a gift.
At Christmas, it is the gift of the Christ Child come to save the world from darkness.
Whatever you find yourself carrying this Christmas – messiness, joy, or a bit of both – I pray that you can embrace the gift of life, and most importantly, experience the gift of Christ coming for you.
Merry Christmas,
Naomi