12/24/2025
This Christmas, I find myself thinking about the wonder of children. The fears of keeping kids safe and young for as long as possible. I wonder if Mary and Joseph felt the same way as they held Jesus in their arms, fearful of what powers would come for their son. I think of Jesus’ life and works as a man, but what of his childhood? Did Mary and Joseph look around every corner when they were hiding in Egypt, awaiting King Herod’s death so they could go home? What was it like to be the parents of Jesus, presumably facing the same fears and anxieties that many people still face today?
In a time when the world feels incredibly scary, I have been comforted by the love and joy of the children around me. I have been comforted by Mary and Joseph’s journey- even with the odds against them, they persevered, and I hope they chose to focus on the love and light that Jesus brought to their lives. For it is in the form of a baby that Jesus came to us, vulnerable and pure. Ready to live life on Earth alongside us and change life as we know it.
There is a lot in the world that feels hopeless. My wish for you this Christmas season is to focus on what you can do to bring light and joy to the world. We may not be able to stop wars, end hunger and homelessness, right all the wrongs on our own, but there are acts in our power that will have the ripple effect & can make a difference.
This is an excerpt from a piece by Lydia Wylie-Kellermann I came across that spoke to me, and I hope it will light something in you as we come together, celebrate Jesus’ birth, & look forward to a new year coming.
“We owe our children awe and wonder!! ... We need it. Awe and wonder hold our hearts and bodies in the present moment around us, keeping us from spiraling into whatever is yet to come. We can find it anywhere … in the streets, the woods, our neighborhoods, the shore of the ocean, or in a culvert under the road. It happens in the slowing down. It happens when we let ourselves loose. When we let go of control and are free to stumble upon joy.
Let us show these children in our lives that, amid all the horror, there is a life worth living that can take your breath away and leave you dancing.”
