A New Perspective on Christmas

Each Advent I marvel at how important Christmas is to our culture. It’s the reason for multiple radio stations changing their play formats, cities putting lights on trees, malls staying open late, grocery stores stocking all sorts of special foods, concert halls hosting seasonal concerts, churches holding important services, and families taking part in ritual gatherings. For one busy month, it feels as though the entire country is taking part in Christmas. Even those who despise this season are playing a role in the holiday tradition, that of Scrooge. It is a time that I consider precious for all sorts of reasons. But this year I’m celebrating in a particular way because of this new title I can claim: father.

There have been times in my life when I have felt very distant from the characters who play a role in Christ’s birth. I’m not a first century Jew and I’ve never been ordered to go “declare myself” at my place of birth, for instance. But now I share a lot of the same experiences that Joseph and Mary had on the night of their son’s birth. I have felt the constant worry that comes with pregnancy, the fear of labor, and the exultation of knowing that my child has been born happy and healthy. And all of these experiences have brought me one step closer to the story of the Incarnation. It’s one of the unexpected joys of being a dad. This whole journey that began the moment we learned we were pregnant and continues on today has deepened my faith. And this Advent, in the midst of tickling tiny toes, changing diapers, and holding  my daughter when she’s sad, I’ve come to understand more fully the great risk God took in becoming man, and what a gift it is to be a father.

Merry Christmas!