The Holiday Spirit

Paul describes the church as a body in 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so, the body is not made up of one part but of many.” 

“Even so…”— the reality is that, although we are one, we still have things we deal with that make us feel different than others. The holiday season is supposed to be a wonderful time to reunite with friends and family and to reminisce about old times. But what if your friends and family aren’t really part of your life? What if they represent a life you left behind? Or what if you encounter other relationship obstacles? In you, or them? 

Jesus made it clear that there was a family stronger than blood. Probably the most obvious scene is in Mark 3:31-35 when some people came to where He was teaching and said, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for You.” It was His response that seemed weird at first, “Who are My mother and My brothers? Here are My mother and My brothers! Whoever does God’s will is My brother and sister and mother.” Following Christ can have an effect on how we view our family. Read Matthew 10:34-37 or Luke 12 to see the high call that Jesus is giving us. 

However, Jesus still concerned Himself with His family. For instance, in John 19:25-27, Jesus arranged for His mother to be taken care of. “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” Why? Didn’t Mary have other sons and daughters? (Mark 6:3). Regardless of the reason, He took the initiative to ensure her wellbeing. 

But why mention this at the onset of the holiday season? Because depression may occur at any time of the year, but the stress and anxiety during the months of November and December are statistically worse. There may be other emotions beyond stress that impact the holiday spirit. Things like; routines are put on hold, or there is an increased number of get-togethers (which can cause some people to feel anxious), reminders of some people in the family they no longer have, due to death, distance, or decisions. Even cold weather can bring people down. 

But as Christians, we should look for ways to be a blessing to others. There are many ways to do that, but I’m reminded of the simple, but powerful “law of Christ” mentioned in Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” This holiday, consider some ways you can lighten the burdens on the people you care about most.