Mysterious Season
I listened to an interesting sermon in church last Sunday (it’s not online yet), entitled “The Irrational Season.” The minister’s message was that this is indeed a season filled with “irrational” thoughts, or at least ones that defy logic — it is a celebratation of the birth of a child from a woman who is a virgin and, according to some beliefs, was also conceived and born of a virgin as well. Belief in a jolly man in a red suit and eight tiny reindeer, that there’s a gift in that sack for every child, that he can fit down the chimney. Belief that the gnomes come and leave stuff in one’s shoes.
There is also the more real world irrationality: the nights are getting longer, we crave the light and wrap our trees and houses with them, sometimes one-upping the neighbors with the brightness and intricacy of displays. One house in our neighborhood has every giant inflatable, light-up item that Wal-Mart carries. Shopping is bonkers, everyone is crashing around more stressed out than usual in a flurry of year-end activity, probably overspending, overeating and over-anxious. Truly awful music is played simply because “it’s Christmas.”
Dr. Hallman’s sermon wrapped up with the Mystery of Life itself… yes, it is irrational (as many view all religions) but apparently we need to dismantle ourselves a little, reorder everything after a little period of chaos (she didn’t call it chaos and order, I’m calling it that). She said, we ask for the mystery to come to us, however we envision it to be. We invite it in. Therefore, she encouraged, let go of reason, just a little. It’s good for us!
As I reflected on this notion, I can easily see how the presents under the tree, and in fact, the whole custom of gift-giving is all about the mystery. Wrapped up in pretty paper, ribbons and bows, and of course, a tag. Tiny gorgeous bits of jewelry packed with socks in a much too large box. Hiding presents and keeping secrets, sneaking around to get gift suggestions for the perfect surprise. All these are rituals in support of keeping the Mystery going.
Additionally, I think the darker side of the Christmas spirit — Marley’s ghost, the Little Match Girl, even King Herod’s diabolical decree to kill all the boy babies — is an essential part of the Mystery as well. How can we know and see Light if we do not also know the Darkness? Would Scrooge’s transformation been as convincing if he’d had a good night’s sleep? What good is Nice without Naughty?
This dual nature is built into the very nature of gift exchange too. The worth of the gift goes up if the sacrifice of time, energy and ingenuity is greater than usual, if there is something extraordinary. The worth of the giver and the recipient increases too. In “The Gift of the Magi,” the man and woman each sell their prized possession to buy the other a gift, and the beauty of the story comes both from the irony that he sold his watch to buy her a hair comb, and she sold her hair to buy him a watch fob, but also in the obvious love that deepens when they discover what they have done. Though the gifts no longer make sense, their purpose is fulfilled. Love abounds.
In this irrational season, love and joy are renewed, through twinkly lights, through pretty paper-wrapped packages, through stories of babies, miracles, angels and shepherds. It doesn’t make much sense, but that’s ok. We’re entitled to a little irrationality this time of year.