By now I hope we have all of the presents wrapped, we have tightened the last bolt of the “some assembly required,” we have licked all of the envelopes for the cards. We are ready to ask now what it all means. We can stop worrying about society’s understanding of Christmas and begin to listen to the startling things the New Testament has to say about the birth of Jesus. Maybe the reason we scurry around so much during this time of year is that we don’t want to have to face the fact that we don’t really feel much cheer at Christmas.

            Christmas is tougher on us than we usually want to admit. We send cards to people we miss, wishing we could see them face to face. We worry whether we have bought the right present. We throw our hands up, thinking we will never have it all done. The problem really sinks more deeply than that. If someone we can’t do without has died, the empty chair at the table is harder to bear this time of year. If money is tight, the faces of our children droop even lower when we tell them we just can’t get them what they want. Pink slips go out this time of year as companies try to cut costs before January. We may wonder what good Christmas is if we read stories about a charity robbed of Christmas toys right before they were to be delivered. This time of year is not easy for everyone. It is not always full of cheer.

            Some churches have even started the practice of holding “Blue Christmas” services. These churches have recognized that for some, Christmas, far from being a joyous time, can be more than we can stand. Did you know that suicides increase this time o

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