The question I posed to the congregation yesterday was, why are we so angry? And, if someone were to ask you what your testimony was about God and what it means in your life that he sent his Son, Jesus, what would you say?
I have been hearing about the "War on Christmas" for a while now. People lose their minds whenever a store clerk says, "Happy Holidays," or they attend a "Holiday Party" rather than a Christmas one. I don't get it personally. I don't understand the anger that is present in the world around this time of year, when there are legitimate things to be angry about such as those who are homeless in this freezing cold weather we are having, many of them children.
So, here is my proposal, because we are called by God, just as John was in our Gospel lesson today, to testify to the light breaking into the world. Lets move Christmas back a month. Lets just exit out of this holiday time, and move our Christ-mass to the end of November (when all of the Christmas decorations come out anyway.) Then, the beginning of Advent will be marked by All Saints Day. And Epiphany can be our gift giving time. So that would put our Christ-mass, the joyous celebration of the incarnation of God. That would put Emmanuel, God with us, at the same time as our celebration of Thanksgiving. And really, aren't thanksgiving and joy the two emotions that should be in our season way more than anger and fear?
Joy should take the place of all this anger that swirls around and is even provoked out of some. Because of our joy, we will have no room for anger anymore. And that will be our expression of thanks. That will be our testimony to the light coming into the darkness.
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