Yesterday, Christmas Eve, Spicy Mustard and Nueva Vida hosted roughly forty kids for an afternoon of fun and fellowship. We had sack races, 3-legged races, water balloon toss and pinatas. I read the Christmas story in Spanish as we’ve done so often at the Walker house, and we tried to teach the kids what we as Americans so often overlook: the meaning of Christmas is Jesus.
I have been so fortunate in my 23 years to have a family who tries their best not to overlook that fact. For as long as I can remember, Granddad, my mother’s father, had us read the Christmas story from Luke, and I remember having to have “census” explain to me as a child. He was religious about this tradition, and while we knew that it was about Christmas, I’m sure many of my cousins had the same thoughts as I did when I was a child: “Ugh, this again!? The presents are right there, let’s open them!”
I’m so grateful for a tradition as simple as that. For a family that is together enough to meet in Maryville, Tennessee and then Buckhead, Georgia so we can spend Christmas as it was meant to be, as a family. Spicy Mustard had a candlelight service last night, and I was reminded of even more traditions. As the wax fell onto my hand and hardened from the absence of extreme heat, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Walker family was lighting candles along the street outside their house as we’ve done so many times. I remember the first time I intentionally let the wax fall on my hand, thinking it was so cool and Granddad showing me how I could make my fingers stick together.
I read that passage from Luke, and we talked about it instead of merely listening to it. Taralah spoke about how Bethlehem was full of travelers, which means that the stable Mary and Joseph were in was probably packed to capacity as well. Imagine the smell: manure, old, wet hay, etc etc. We spoke about the struggle that Mary probably endured between the time of telling Joseph she was pregnant, and Joseph encountering the angel in his dreams. Imagine the pain of the feeling of betrayal, imagine Mary’s sorrow that her trusted fiance would doubt her loyalty.
Brandon, on the theme of fullness, imagined the heavenly presence that was probably there that night. The angels were the first to find people and tell them what was happening on that amazing night. Brandon imagined that the stable was packed to capacity on a spiritual level. He imagined that the angles who spoke to the Magi and the Shepherds was overflow for miles and miles outside of the stables. Standing room only. They wouldn’t miss it for the world.
It saddened us to think about how many people did miss, and still miss it. We see each other through the filter of our eyes, causing us to infer events incorrectly as we believed they happened, or conditioned ourselves to believe they would happen. So many millions of people had the wrong filter over their eyes when it came to Jesus. They saw a conqueror in the traditional sense, they expected chariots and trumpets and banners. What they got was a scene of ultimate humility: the savior of the world, a baby, in a manure-filled stable, birthing pains, a human mother, etc, etc. In that moment, our humble savior began walking the path to our salvation. He is a conqueror, but he conquered death with humility.
I will miss all of you this Christmas, I am so thankful for the traditions that we have painstakingly created and maintained. I cherish every one of them, and the resounding theme of family that is behind them. I hope all of you are blessed on this holiday, we are doing well and enjoying our time as a small family of seven. We love you and hope only the best in this holiday season. We’re saddened we couldn’t share it with you in person, but we know that your love is with us. Praying for each and every one of you!
