BY SHELDON DeVRIES
      “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” Sang Andy Williams. This, along with many other classic Christmas songs, flood our radios as we drive to and from work, the grocery store, or even the radio that plays quietly in the background in our homes. We hear the language of joy, happiness, peace, wonder, and even holiness.
      But what makes it so wonderful? It is certainly not the traffic as were trying to do our Christmas shopping. It’s not wonderful when you’re shoveling snow out of your driveway just to get to work. It’s not wonderful that now the daylight savings has ended and we feel like it’s midnight at 6 PM. So, what makes it so wonderful?
      Something that I’ve learned over years of watching movies, is that we love happy endings. We want things to be resolved, and for love to emerge, or the hero to be victorious. Whatever the outcome, we like it to be stitched up and finished. And while we enjoy movies such as Titanic, we are not always happy with the chosen outcome, even though these traumatic endings stick with us. I remember watching the movie, “Primal Fear,” years ago, starring Richard Gere, and Edward Norton, and the huge twist that came at the end that made people feel unsettled. I think that represents the very opposite of what we prefer. We want things to end on a high, to be happy, to feel inspired. The Christmas season becomes a catalyst for things to move upward, and that is why we like it.
      Perhaps the sense of wonder creeps in and slowly sways us toward these forgotten values. Here are some positives about this time of year: We are coming to the end of our work year, the seasons are changing, hopefully you got a bonus at work, and we get a change of pace. As a result, we slow down, we have some days off. This is good. With the onset of Thanksgiving, we tried to have a better disposition towards others, moving into the Christmas season, although not everybody does. We all have horror stories of shoppers gone mad, and we tried to maintain our sanity while bringing blessing and sharing peace. Sometimes the wonder of Christmas is hidden between all the chaos that we also seem to experience. And we have to look intently for it. Maybe wonder is not the primary driver of Christmas? Maybe it is something else. But what?
      Christmas is a time of year where our language changes some. It’s in our decorations that are plastered all over our homes. The word: “blessed,” or “believe,” or “hope” or “joy.” Just to name a few. These words represent the best parts of the human experience, and when we are at our best, this is what exudes from our lives. But does it have to be Christmas for it to show itself? What would the world look like if these were not just seasonal beliefs, but deeply ingrained values? And while we say we believe in these values, sometimes they are in the background of our lives more than they should be.
      Christmas is a wonderful time of year. Some may even say magical. When we drive down the streets and we see houses lit in red, green and white, it is hard not to feel the spirit of Christmas. When you go into any store with clerks wearing Santa hats, and reindeer antlers, it is hard not to smile. When every coffee drink you order is filled with spices that would be detested in the summer, now they are celebrated and even enjoyed. We know Christmas is near. During this time of year, we also see churches take on a different face. Some are lit, other’s not. Some have Nativity scenes, some talk about Advent - the anticipation of Christ coming into the world. We see wise man and shepherds, stars and camels, and they all strangely bring a sense of comfort, familiarity and peace. But are joy and peace the primary drivers of Christmas? Maybe it is something else. But what?
      When you read the story of Jesus making his way into the world, we see many similarities with what is happening in our season. We see anticipation from Mary and Joseph, wonder from the wise men, joy from the shepherds, even peace from the animals. All the ingredients are there. But the primary driver of Christmas is none of these things – it is all of them. When all these individual values unite, the true value of Christmas emerges… It’s the Miracle.
      Sometimes we think that miracles are only supernatural events, or moments of unexplained actions. Which they are. Those are the big ones. But miracles are present all around us, often in very understated or passive ways. We don’t always see them, but we experience them all the time. The unexplained that is beyond our comprehension. When things work out that shouldn’t, or when we experience generosity we were not expecting. Often, people are the vessels through which miracles happen. That is true of Jesus too, he was a man, fully empowered by God, but still a person nonetheless. God has chosen miracles to remind us that he is never far, but instead of bolts of lightning, he chooses the smiling face of a stranger, or the kindness of a rival, or even the innocence of a child.
      I notice that during the Christmas season there are always many more commercials on TV about giving to a cause. St. Jude is one that I see often. None of us love these ads, but there is a reality behind them that we perhaps prefer not to see. Hurting and dying kids – no one enjoys seeing that. And yet, many of them are smiling, grateful, appreciative and joyful. Now that’s a miracle. In the face of adversity, they stand tall. And we pick up the phone and pledge to help, that’s a miracle also. Now please don’t misunderstand me, I am not campaigning for St. Jude, although I think it a good cause, I am simply saying that we have the opportunity to be a part of the miracle, rather than just spectators of it. Sometimes we don’t see these moments because we have closed ourselves off from them, and thus denied them happening in and through us.
      I believe that the reason why Christmas is so special and wonderful and all those other words, is because it is a time that we choose to find the miraculous. As a pastor, I seek the miraculous and I want people to find God. I want to see where God is working and desire to be a part of his plan. This is why Easter and Christmas are the highest attended Sundays… people are still looking. They are not looking for religion - they are looking for God. They are looking for miracles.
      When we stop long enough to see, and are quiet long enough to hear, and willing to use our hands and means to influence the world, the miraculous will happen. We will become the miracle for another. Do you believe in miracles? Of course you do. Do you have the courage to be the miracle for something else? I believe you will. Christmas is not just a day or a season or an event. Christmas is when God comes near. We are reminded that he came to earth and lived among us, as one of us. And when we open our lives to him, we become a part of something much bigger. We become part of the Christmas story. We become the miracle.
      Merry Christmas.
     
      Sheldon DeVries is currently executive pastor
      of staff operations at Greenford Christian Church and future Boardman Campus Minister at Greenford’s new campus location at 7782 Glenwood Ave. that will open early in 2024.