“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12 KJV)
When asked what the reason for the season is, my answer is obvious; Jesus! It is an interesting question though. Not so much the question itself, but what the question does to those who like to ask it. As I am sure you know, asking a question is much different than answering it. Often when the question is asked it makes the one asking it feel bigger if he thinks there is a wide range of possible answers. This poses a curious delima. As I have written before in the article “No Room”, Christianity is the biggest tent there is. Yet if you receive any other answer than four to the question, what is two plus two; then does widening your range of answers really have value? God made all that there is and all that there is fits into His plans and purposes. Each of us that hear His voice understand the need to love our neighbor and are enabled to do that by accepting the love that God has for us. And we arrive at a holiday that affords us the opportunity to celebrate the very birth of the one that makes all things, sets everything in motion as per His purposes, and gives meaning that is deeper and richer than we can fathom.
Yet the question, as posed, is often meant to suggest that there are many tents and Christianity is only one of them. It is posed that way because if you do not know the love of God then it is a real challenge to understand how to love and care for your neighbor. There are certainly many celebrations, but no other that has this level of meaning; save the Easter holiday where the death and resurrection of Jesus is remembered. Celebrations are a wonderful thing! Many are layered with historical events that we want to remember for a very long time. However, each celebration has it’s context and place and when asked for “the reason”; the singularly perfect answer is there and worth reflecting on.
“And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:16 KJV)