“He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." ~ Psalms 34:18
We buried both of my parents just days before Christmas, eleven years apart. No one holiday was more difficult to endure than those first
Christmases without each of them. Everyone was buying gifts, decorating their
homes, baking family recipes, and enjoying the holiday spirit. I remained
silently present in the shadows at Christmas.
It reminded me of
another who played a role behind the Christmas scene.
Yet what an important role he played in the early life of
Jesus. He supported and wed Mary, even though the child wasn’t his. He remained
a calm presence at the manger, and later led the family to sanctuary in Egypt. He
mentored Jesus during those formative years, teaching Him carpentry skills and a
love for the Law.
Joseph reminds us to remember the forgotten people at
Christmas. The widow, with every greeting card she opens, who feels the sadness
of facing the holiday without her husband. The soldier on deployment thousands
of miles from home who longs for her familiar Christmas festivities. The first
responders working holiday shifts who feel more stress than any other time of
year.
He champions the lonely… because he knows their pain.
His young mother was probably more than a little scared
amid unfamiliar surroundings. The birth announcement was not a hospital photo
mailed first-class to neighbors and family.
Instead, angels appear to shepherds on a hillside, men who
were probably lonely and bored until they heard the news.
To read the Christmas story tenderly is to appreciate God orchestrating
the events of Christ’s birth to include the lonely; making it clear that He understood
their pain. A Samaritan woman at a well, an outcast tax collector, a woman with
a painful illness - Jesus drew near to them, sometimes singling them out for
special attention or favor.
In a world where presents at Christmas hold such a
dominant place, the best gift we can give is our presence for forgotten
people. So as Χρῑστός, or Christos (Greek) approaches, please remember the
lonely in your prayers.
Take a moment to think about different people in your life.
Start with your family and work outward. Think about co-workers and neighbors.
Think about people who might have a recent life event that might have left them
feeling isolated.
Cry out to God for those whose holidays are mournful
reminders of loss or lack in their lives. Pray for those who are far from home
over the holidays. And pray for joy in our hearts, hope in our God, love to
forgive, and peace on the earth.
Loving God, in this Holy season, we come to
You who reveres the brokenhearted and ask You to shower Your favor on all of
the above, in the name of Jesus, Your beloved and only-begotten Son. Amen
