The Most Wonderful Season of All: Is It Really?
In his classic Christmas song “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Andy Williams paints a picture of the holiday season filled with cheer, nostalgia, and joy. Lines like “kids jingle belling” and “people telling you to be of good cheer” evoke a sense of happiness. But let’s take a closer look:
Kids jingle belling: As a parent of a toddler, I can confirm that bell ringing in a noisy house doesn’t exactly inspire excitement.
People telling me to be of good cheer: Let’s be honest—no one knows the burdens we carry, and simply being told to cheer up doesn’t always help.
Scary ghost stories: Seriously, what do ghost stories have to do with Christmas?
Christmas is often marketed as the happiest time of the year, but that image can be more nostalgic than realistic. Should we expect this season to be the most joyful time of the year? Is it about the gifts, the food, or even time with loved ones? These things may bring temporary happiness, but they are not ultimate sources of joy. They will inevitably fall short.
Acknowledging the Pain of the Season
In recent years, we’ve embraced a deeper understanding of Advent. This season isn’t joyful for everyone. For many, it’s a time of grief. The loss of loved ones, personal struggles, and external pressures weigh heavily. Tinsel and colorful bows don’t cover the pain of grief and loss.
Beyond personal grief, societal issues compound our struggles. Political turmoil, financial uncertainty, and global crises create a backdrop of anxiety. Yet, this isn’t new—these challenges echo throughout history, including the world into which Jesus was born.
The Shepherds: God’s Unexpected Choice
In the Christmas story, we see a world under Roman occupation, fraught with division, fear, and hardship. Amid this chaos, God chose to reveal the birth of Jesus to shepherds—a group considered outcasts in society.
Read Luke 2:8-20.
The shepherds were working a difficult and messy job when an angel appeared, proclaiming good news of great joy. The night sky lit up with the glory of God, and a host of angels praised Him. The shepherds rushed to see the newborn Messiah, becoming the first to witness the Incarnate God. They returned to their fields transformed, praising God.
Waiting in Hope
C.S. Lewis captured this sense of anticipation in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Narnia’s “always winter and never Christmas” mirrors a world perpetually in Advent—waiting for Aslan to come and set things right. Similarly, we await Christ’s return to restore all things. Yet, even in the waiting, the hope of Christ pierces the darkness, melting fear and despair. Seeing the angels appear and hearing their joyous songs was a symbol to the shepherds and the long awaited messiah has finally arrived, and thus advent is no more.
Our Role in the Story and the Call to Be of Good Cheer
Like the shepherds, we might feel unworthy of God’s attention or use. Yet, God delights in using ordinary people to declare extraordinary truths. As recipients of God’s grace, we’re invited to share His light in a weary world.
In this season of Advent, in this season of waiting, we are gifted with the opportunity by God to show the world what waiting in pain looks like. A community of Love during a season of loss and lament. A people that demonstrates the beauty of hope in our hectic lives. God’s covenant people, who choose to have joy, in less than jubilant times. To display peace in times that feel a whole lot like perdition. Christianity isn’t a crutch, it’s a balm for the world
Earlier, I critiqued the notion of “being of good cheer.” Yet Jesus Himself said, “In the world, you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
As we navigate the complexities of this season, let us, like the shepherds, proclaim the love and hope of Christ. In a world desperate for true joy and peace, may we be a balm to the weary and a light in the darkness.
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