Christmas: The Best or Worst of Times?
Christmas is the best of times, it is the worst of times - depending upon how you look at it.
If you look at Christmas from a perspective akin to the 17th century Puritans, you see a celebration of sensuality permeated with elements of "Paganism." You bemoan the presence of "pagan" elements as a corruption of the Gospel. The Puritans outlawed the celebration of Christmas, and you might feel they were right to do so.
Christmas does indeed reflect "pagan" influences. December 25th was chosen for the day of celebration, not because it was really Jesus' birthday, but to replace a Roman celebration associated with the birthday of the "Sun god." Christmas trees are from an ancient Northern European "pagan" religion that held trees in reverence as sacred objects. And so on.
That ideas and symbols from many ancient cultures have been converted into Christian symbols may be disturbing to the Puritan. On the other hand, Christianity converted many cultures, indicating its deep universal appeal to the human heart. Why shouldn't a Christian celebration reflect cultural diversity, reinterpreted to represent the birth of Jesus?
A Puritan might also object to the pervasive sensuality of Christmas. Christmas is filled with sensual elements: the aromas of holiday dishes being prepared; the delightful flavors of those festive treats; the fresh scent of evergreen trees and garlands; colorful lights shining along city streets and country roads; decorations of red, green, silver and gold; the cheerful sounds of bells, carolers and laughter; the feeling of increasing lightness, as money leaves your wallet and savings account. Whether or not these are "bad" sensations is purely a matter of your own perspective. Why shouldn't we experience sensual pleasure along with spiritual joy?
Feelings about Christmas tend to be closely related to feelings about family. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending upon how you feel about your family. People from happy and loving homes, which joyfully celebrated Christmas, will tend to have very positive feelings about Christmas. People from dysfunctional or abusive homes will tend to experience Christmas as stressful, disturbing and melancholy. But of course, one does not have to associate Christmas with one's relationship with one's family.
Whatever sensual and familial associations we may have with Christmas, Christmas is essentially about celebrating Jesus. The central spiritual image of Christmas is the infant Jesus in a manger. Considered from a human perspective, it is a touching and inspiring image. Considered from a metaphysical perspective, it is a profoundly meaningful image.
Much has been made of the human perspective on Jesus' birth story. A baby, born to a poor couple in a small country occupied by a foreign army, grows up to heal the sick and spread a message of love and faith. That poor baby, born in an obscure land, became one of the most revered and influential men in history. That is indeed an inspiring story.
From a metaphysical perspective, the baby Jesus is a profound symbol for how God is related to the world. As God is present everywhere at all times, God would certainly be present with even the poorest and most helpless infant. That infant would have the potential to grow in knowledge and might even make mystical contact with the omniscient Mind of God. The omnipotence of God could work through that child, over the course of a lifetime, to work miracles of love and inspire the world. That omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient Spirit is with each one of us, and can work through us to overcome any obstacle and achieve any height.
Metaphysically speaking, we can each declare with the Apostle Paul, "I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me." If you look at the baby Jesus as a symbol for the divine potential in every human, Christmas is indeed the best of times.