Traditions Old & New

The women were gathered in a circle when I arrived. They were talking quietly as the group leader introduced me. I gazed around the room, smiling at each one and thinking how blessed I was to be in their company. This was the second group that I had the privilege to speak with this week. They are residents of a women’s homeless community living in transition homes. They are also incredibly courageous women working hard to change their lives for the better after years of enduring challenges many of us can’t imagine.

The holiday season is a time when we work hard on external things like decorating our homes, baking favorite cookies, attending festive events and sending Christmas cards. Baking my mom’s Italian cookies is an old tradition which I enjoy doing and sharing with others. There are new traditions too – like attending the festive Christmas Stroll on Nantucket, a wonderful event which I experienced for the first time this year with friends and family. But beyond the outward signs of the season lay the hidden, sometimes forgotten, reason for all these celebrations.

As we do each year, setting up our family’s manger is a beloved tradition. This visible sign of Christ’s birth keeps us focussed on the real meaning of Christmas. But this year, it was particularly emotional for me. When I placed the feeding trough in the middle of Mary and Joseph and really thought about that as the place where God would lay his head as a human baby, I was overwhelmed with sadness. I mean we (me) pay so much attention to trivial things and elevate them to levels of importance yet the Son of God came and we allowed him to sleep in a space where the animals feed. I actually couldn’t comprehend it. Then I thought back to something I had learned in Theology class this year. Jesus is food for a starving world so perhaps it makes sense that his first bed would be a place meant for feeding others – perhaps this is God’s great design from the beginning. When we humble ourselves in love, taking the lowest place so others can be elevated, only then can we truly find the peace which the baby King brings from the stable.

My experience with the manger caused me to ponder all the time I put into the season’s many good yet external traditions so I resolved to prioritize things associated with the real meaning of Christmas – peace, love, joy, and hope. Spending time at the homes for homeless women came at the invitation of a friend who asked me to speak about the importance of daily prayer/meditation. I am not sure if I would have experienced the company of the courageous women residents without her invitation. But, I know that I want to make visiting those homes part of my new Christmas tradition. The Son of God was born for all people, not just those with homes. He came to bring glad tidings to every person – including those struggling with addiction and other types of pain. Maybe we can all try to remember what Christmas is really all about this year. I’m thankful for the reminder.