A Final Pause in Advent 2011

At the end of October, a friend wrote a little status update on Facebook. She wrote: ‘Dear Christmas. Please go away and come back in about four weeks. Love, everyone'.
It was just a little bon mot from her, but I liked it, mentioned it to the boys, and the rest is history – it’s kind of summed up our thinking about Christmas for November and much of December! I asked her permission to quote her here, as now, we think (and she agrees), that Christmas is very welcome indeed! Here is my own letter to Christmas, now that its time has come. It’s a letter very much from me, and not much in the style of my friend’s earlier witty note, but she’s the one who started me thinking – thanks!
Dear Christmas,

It’s good to finally meet up with you, at just the right time! We’re ready for you now, I think – the weather is almost wintery, and it certainly will be by the time we get to the UK for our hols. We’re more or less ready in terms of presents too, and Christmas cards, music, parties and decorations are getting us in the mood.

What do I hope for you this year, Christmas? I hope for safe travels and happy arrivals. I hope for good connections within our families – time spent among the different generations which builds up strong bonds of affection and understanding. I hope that the understanding we have of each other will lead to times of peace, avoiding the sort of pressure which can build up from unrealistic expectations of a dream Christmas. I hope for the creation of memories that will glow in each one of us after we’ve returned to our separate worlds of work, school and home.

What do I pray for this year, Christmas? I pray for our families. I pray for our friends and neighbours – several are facing Christmas at a time of sudden mourning or frightening illness - and I place them in God’s loving hands. I pray for our world, which is moving towards Christmas at a time of uncertainty, fear, ongoing poverty and war. I pray that I will remember, in the midst of the winter revelry, that the true centre of my Christmas, the true centre of my life, is the baby who was born into uncertainty, fear, poverty and war; the baby who is my Certainty, my Hope, my Wealth and my Peace.I pray I will remember that. I pray I will remember.