Top Christmas Lighting

November 12, 2010 Posted by Home and Fashion

Merry Christmas!

ugly-christmas-lights
The other day as I was driving home from work I made an observation that there are Christmas lights aglow all over St. Louis. My job takes me from South City to O' Fallon, and everywhere in between. I have seen huge blow up lights in the shape of Santa Claus and white lights neatly lining rooftops. While the decorations may be diverse, they collectively offer a sign of hope to me. I realized that this time of year is very hopeful for many of us, like Christmas lights, it transcends all parts of the city of St. Louis. I was moved as I thought about how common we all are...it's not just in our traditions at Christmas time, or even in our love for Jesus, but also in our desire to know and to be known. We were all created to live in community with God and with His people. Whether our differences are socioeconomic levels, or skin tone, or whatever, we have an innate need to be together.
My job, which I started around this same time last year has provided many humbling experiences that have presented commonalities among all of us. I have had such good conversations with black people, poor people, rich people, immigrants, etc; we are far more similar than we give ourselves justice. Just like wreaths that have been placed on doors both in Berkeley and in Ladue, people live behind those doors who have common needs. We have the need to be respected, to love and to be loved, having people to call our own. During the holiday season we acknowledge this with big meals and festive parties in an effort to celebrate Jesus, but also to do that in community. I think that as stressful as Christmas can be, it is such a sweet time of year. We get to see our friends and family that we haven't been with in several months and we get to laugh, see pictures and hear stories from the past year...it's a time of celebration! We ALL look forward to that. I know this year I will be thinking about what kids in my case load are doing, I'll think about friends of mine who will return home, and I'll know that we'll be doing many of the same things...eating, talking, sharing, eating, laughing, eating, watching football, catching up, eating...a majority of our nation will be doing the same thing!
When I take my 9 hour drive home next week I will be looking forward to seeing my parents, my sister and her family, childhood friends, etc. I am so excited! Many of us have that same feeling of expectation. I think that's why peace is thought of at Christmas, because this season goes throughout our city and nation and touches so many people across many different cultures...it's a beautiful thing! I hope and pray that we also remember peace comes from the Father, and is in the form of a man...He truly makes it possible to take comfort in the Lord. Despite sin, the very thing that puts space between us and God, we are as close as possible through the Spirit...thanks be to Jesus who made this possible! In the Old Testament when the tower of Babel was built people were scattered in different languages and separated, I can't help but feel like Jesus is the undoing of the scattered pandemonium that must have been that event...He's bringing us back together through a common peace with God that we all share. It's true, we can have a relationship with Him and His people, despite our differences in politics, in race, etc. I encourage you to recognize that many of us share in this communion with the Father, both your neighbors and across town. We all worship the Father in various ways! It is He that brings us together, and it is He that is the basis for our commonalities! Thank you Jesus! Merry Christmas!

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