12-26-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 26, 2023
Let me begin by giving a big thank you to those who were guest Etching writers last week: James Seymour, Chip Bettis, Paula Byrd, Marilyn Lewellen, Paula Gembala, and Robert Neunkirch. I loved how each of them was very unique, sharing a personal experience that spoke to the moment. And to be honest, it was a gift to me beyond enjoying what they wrote. I got a break from writing, and it was a good time to focus my energy elsewhere. 

As I reflected on those Etchings, I had a sort of epiphany in regard to Christmas. Christmas is a date on the calendar, a central part of the Christian story, and something for which most people could provide a dictionary definition. Yet, in reading the thoughts of these seven people, the distinctiveness of each experience and their insight began to broaden the potential explanations of Christmas. Scientists are always trying to view things objectively, seeking to identify bias and perceived notions so as to not blur the results of an experiment. This is a good thing in the world of science. Yet in the world of faith, our convictions are inseparably tied to emotion, nostalgia, and life-shifting events. So often, religion believes it is capable of creating a sterile and unambiguous definition of a sacred mystery like Christmas, and because religion is so proud of its definitions, it seeks to impose them and declare anything sounding antithetical to be heretical. Maybe instead of trying to impose structure on something like Christmas, we should make space for the Spirit to touch a person’s heart in light of that individual’s own set of experience-shaped lenses.

Thank you, Amazing God, for the beautiful and sacred mysteries that define my most strongly held beliefs. As I name my own, help me to listen carefully to others, seeking to understand them to the best of my ability. Amen.