“Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing over the plains….
Gloooooooooria in excelsis deo.”
I was sitting at my desk at work, doing accounting as I heard the familiar traditional Christmas carol playing from a nearby office. From another office I heard video footage with the sound of an Indian man speaking English with a Hindi accent. I laughed because it was one of those “culture warp” moments where the two sounds just don’t blend but stand in sharp contrast to each other.
I realized later that my culture warp moment was a picture of how I’m feeling about Christmas this year. On one hand I’m enjoying all the traditions of Christmas—the music, the food, the parties, the concerts and recitals, more food and more parties. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail and seeing how the kids have grown since last year. I’m always touched by how people (both for Christmas and Hanukkah) want to give to each other and to those who are hurting and in need during the holidays. And I am waiting and searching for those moments where the central message of Christmas comes alive to me all over again: God with us.
On the other hand of my Christmas culture warp are the images I still carry with me from my recent trip to India. Villages that don’t have clean water to drink. Women trapped in slavery. Children who have lost their parents and try to fend for themselves. Many people living on the street without homes. Not all of India is destitute, but these images are more visible and prevalent there than they are here where I live. In my mind, these images represent suffering people all over the world.
Just as the two sounds didn’t blend in the office that day, my memories of India don’t blend with my American Christmas. I guess I don’t really think that they could or should blend, but I stand here, with one in each hand, wondering what to do. If I embrace one, will I forget the other? I know that my tendency is to enjoy the celebrating and forget the suffering. Yet I have nothing to offer to the suffering if I don’t live in the celebrating of who He is.
As I’ve pondered this more, I’ve realized that the little baby in the manger embraced that tension when he entered into our reality: a tension between joy and sorrow, love and hate, heaven and hell. On the one hand He was born into a cold, smelly cave with the sound of sheep bleating in His ears. On the other hand, He heard the voices of the shepherds as they came to see and proclaim what the angels said about Him. He was born into a country that was oppressed and dominated by a foreign nation, yet He is, was, and always will be the King of Kings. His parents had to flee the country to preserve His life, yet ultimately He gave His life to reconnect us to eternal life.
After He became an adult and started teaching in the synagogue, He not only embraced the tension but began to build a bridge between the two: a bridge from sorrow to joy, from hate to love, from hell to heaven. When He encountered sick people, He made them well. He fed the hungry. He mended the minds of broken people. He even brought a few back from death. He liberated people from all the effects of hell. Ultimately, when He died on the cross, He became the bridge. The impact of His life was that He gave it away, so that God would be glorified and men’s hearts would return to Him. Without the cross, the manger is just a sweet story.
So this brings me back to my Christmas culture warp. I’ve committed my life to follow Him. His example says: “Embrace the tension. Be a bridge.” Enjoy Christmas and while you’re at it, extend that joy to those who are suffering. Give your life away. Ouch. Double ouch. Here are my excuses:
- Those are high and lofty goals, and I don’t know how to do that.
- That might require me to do some things that are really uncomfortable.
Yet I don’t want to settle for just the sweet half of the story. I want more than the manger (although I like the sweetness of it); I want the resurrection power of the cross to shine through my life. So I’m taking little steps to grow my obedience muscles. I can’t be in India all the time, so I am looking for ways to serve the suffering closer to home. I’ve volunteered a couple of times at a local mission that meets many practical needs in the community. My husband and I are talking about how we can give more financially to some overseas organizations that feed, clothe, house and give water to those who need it. I’m not telling you about my good deeds to make me feel good or for you to admire me, but to show you my process. I want to grow to the place that I am not only giving from my leftovers, but giving until it costs me something. And I don’t want to stop giving when the holidays are over; I want to develop a bridge lifestyle.
If you have identified with my culture warp, please let me know your thoughts. Sometimes serving is as simple as having a neighbor over for coffee and listening, but I am also including a short list of links to organizations in case you are looking for a place to give your life away. I know there are thousands; I have included just a few of my favorites.
Sower of Seeds Ministries (India)
Mission Arlington (DFW, Texas)
Also, I want to recommend 2 great books if you want to have your paradigm stretched about embracing the tension:
“Same Kind of Different As Me” by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
“The Hole in Our Gospel” by Richard Stearns
Awesome article Pam!!! I want the resurrection power of the cross to shine through my life too!!!
Thanks, Gaye. Merry Christmas!
You expressed so beautifully the pull I also struggle with, Pam. Thanks for your insight, encouragement and for using the gift God has given you in writing. In case you were wondering, the powerful message of the manger does shine through your life and is an inspiration to me. Thank you .
Thankyou Pam dear.
Want to be BRIDGE too.
Roma
Stacey, you are one of my favorite people!
Pam…I visited because a high school friend posted about you on Facebook this morning. It's amazing but I, too, have been struggling as of late. I want more than anything for Christmas to be about the Christ of it, and not the price of this or that gift we wrap and place under the tree. In fact, in the manger where Jesus was born, the gifts were given honoring Him and what he stood for…
How far from those beginnings do we have to get before our hearts open, like you have described, to doing more and caring more about what we do rather than what we have? When does what others don't have become more relevant to our actions? What we give of ourselves is more important than anything, and your story and the process you shared are encouraging others to listen with their hearts instead of their ears.
Merry CHRISTmas.
I'm new to blogging, but if you care to visit mine, I would love your feedback as well.
Thanks, Sharon, for your feedback, and for visiting Destiny in Bloom. I visited your blog but had trouble getting a comment to post.
Merry Christmas.
Oh Pam, This is so amazing. Thanks for being my "Central Message" of Christmas this year. What a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of giving. You have inspired me that giving from the heart is the meaning of life not just Christmas. Love and blessings to you. R
Pam,
What a great message!! I love that at Christmas people all over the world take the time to reflect on giving rather than receiving. "I want to grow to the place that I am not only giving from my leftovers, but giving until it costs me something. And I don’t want to stop giving when the holidays are over; I want to develop a bridge lifestyle." So Good!!
My prayer is that we learn to live like this all the time and not just at Christmas. Thank you for writing this!! It blessed me more than you know.
Love you,
Maree
Thanks, Rena. Merry Christmas!
Maree, my prayer is the same. Merry Christmas.
I love it…you express so well the tension…. the disonance I have been experiencing as of late. The quietness…..the delay in engaging in….. the decreased but not removed interest in that which we in this country are sooooo blessed to "do" in rememberance of……… Waiting for Him to complete the good work of "renewing my mind" on this. Thanks Pam for sharing….. for letting me know I am not alone and am not "suffering from a case of Scrooginess" in my quiet contemplation & waiting. Blessings.
Embrace the tension–i love it! it's so resounds of you and your double life! I love to watch your calling expand into the very being of who you are. I'm always challenged by your view of life and this is just another level deeper. I will continue to hope and pray that your bridge gets stronger and longer every day-as well as mine. love love love you~m
Talk about a tough re-entry! You came home from the mission field just before the Christmas festivities began. But I love how you have taken us on this journey with you. Suffering is all around us, the days of looking away are gone because we have nowhere else to turn our heads except towards Jesus. Thank you Pam for reminding us to do our part while we continue to celebrate the hope we have in our Savior. And you know I LOVE Sower OF Seeds! I hope others are compelled to be a part of their ministry.