Peace on Earth and in the Family.

I spent most my years in ministry serving local churches.  I was a director of Christian education, and the holidays were always a hectic time. There was a Sunday school Christmas service to plan, and parties for various groups. I also usually organized the night of Christmas caroling.  During many of those years I also sang in the church choir, and the holiday season always involved extra practices. We always lived some distance from our extended families.  That required traveling, usually on the day after Christmas, in order to see family.  I always saved a weeks vacation for the time between Christmas and New Years.  One year the pastor I was in team ministry with confided to me that he was jealous that I could take the week off.  He went on to tell me that Christmas and the days following were some of his most stressful days.  I guess my puzzled look called for an explanation.  "My counseling load goes up during the holidays.  Families members who do not get along the rest of the year are suddenly forced to spend time together," he explained.  Over time I experienced the realities of family conflicts during the holidays.  I got involved in my share of holiday counseling.  The unfortunate reality is a family holiday party can often be very different than the "Peace on earth" the angels proclaimed.

A report I read  last week caused me to think about family time and people's expectation for Christmas.  The article was published by The Barna Group and included the results of a recently conducted survey.  The intent was to determine people's expectation for this holiday season and to determine how they intended to celebrate this year.   91% of those polled said they plan to celebrate Christmas and 70% said they did so for religious reasons.  When it came to how they intended to celebrate the holiday the number one response (72%) was spending time with family.  The desire to be with the ones we love also seems to know no generational limits. From millennials to senior citizens, we look forward to celebrating Christmas.

Yes, some young people value family time and even desire to maintain tradition.  I recall the conversation I had with one female student during the week prior to Christmas break.  She was frustrated with her parents.  The reason: they had planned a skiing vacation that meant they would be in Colorado, and not at home Christmas Day.  She wanted to be in church Christmas Eve, rather than sitting by the fireplace in s ski lodge.  She wanted to around the tree on Christmas morning opening gifts, and not skiing down the slopes.  She was especially upset because she was a senior and knew the future years would bring lots of changes.

I would encourage you to cherish the family time this Christmas. I would also hope you will keep those family traditions.   It can be a stressful time, especially if it means welcoming home children or other relatives who might have made poor choices.   It can be a challenge to be hospitable with those who seem to have gone out of their way to alienate us the rest of the year.  Even if our values clash the rest of the year, we need to set those aside.  Let the peace of the Christ Child dwell in your heart and in your home.  Maybe the best way to get across the message of the Christ Child is practice unconditional love, especially during the holiday seasons.