Beyond the warm fuzzy side of Christmas – the side with idyllic manger scenes, eager shepherds hurrying off to Bethlehem to behold the humble birth, and songs of praise from lofty angels – is the deeper side of Christ's birth.
On this side, the hope for new birth and the new beginnings that lie beyond, wait expectantly in the human spirit. It is no accident that the nativity stories of the Bible speak directly about the functional purpose of the holy birth: For he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21); and how the salvation that Christ brings is by the forgiveness of their sins (Luke 1:77).
In the Christmas blockbuster film of nearly a decade ago, Love Actually, over and over again the point was made: Christmas is a time for telling the truth. The truth of Christmas is that new birth comes with a price. The price is being able to let go of enough yesterday so we can embark on a new beginning today.
The Good News is that such new beginnings are possible. Moreover, Christmas is a time when our human spirit is perhaps most ready for new beginnings (constructive change and transformation) to happen.
For many of us, starting over requires forgiveness. It asks that we be honest and open about past shortcomings and failures. And it invites us to seek God's presence in all things. Jesus' birth is about forgiveness and being forgiven so that we and others, whether we like them or not, can move on with our lives.
All of us have stuff we need to get beyond in our lives. Some of us have bad tapes from our childhood, or from relationships that ran sour. Others of us have things we've said or done that have brought untold pain and hurt to people we care about.
Let Christmas come; and let the forgiveness that it signals be a time of healing and renewal to the ends of the earth!