I’m sitting here sipping on a White Chocolate Mocha that Starbucks claims will put me in the “holiday spirit”, but unfortunately that just isn’t true. The Christmas music that is currently playing in my ears isn’t doing the trick either. I also know that it has nothing to do with it being 80+ degrees, because being that I’m from Texas and never having had a white Christmas in my life I’ve become accustomed to the idea that I may indeed have a warm Christmas. And although Thailand really gets into decorating with excessive Christmas lights and massive trees, I just can’t shake the feeling that this Christmas season just feels different.
It’s sad to admit but this year it isn’t about the gifts. That has become increasingly more aware to me as I am in a culture that for the most part has no knowledge of the true meaning of Christmas. Moving from a culture that has done everything they can to remove Christ from Christmas to one that literally celebrates this day the Hallmark way has been quite challenging in many ways.
As a man in my early twenties I will admit to you that I still “naturally” wake up early every Christmas morning and rush down stairs to see what Santa filled my stocking with. The secular aspects of Christmas are something I really enjoy but are something that I have many times been too easily wrapped up in. But the secular aspects of Christmas are seemingly stronger because like I said earlier this country only see’s this important day only as such.
So it creates this ironic sense of hopelessness when this day celebrates a new hope that entered the world through the birth of our Savior. Hopelessness found in the lyrics of “O Holy Night” that I heard playing in a mall that were only recognized as classic Christmas carol or in simply seeing the words “Merry Christmas” plastered everywhere and realizing that Christ doesn’t stand out to them when reading it. But amidst this hopelessness I’m reminded of the true meaning of Christmas because didn’t Christ come to bring a new hope back into our hopeless world?
To change the way the world thinks and to establish a new covenant is the reason a beautiful baby entered this world. So although the true spirit of Christmas isn’t alive in Bangkok, it resides in my heart. It’s this true spirit that allows me to hope in the birth of our savior amidst the spiritual darkness here. And although it’s tempting to allow the hopelessness created by glowing lights, sales in every store, and the classic Christmas songs take over, I’m choosing to allow the hope that entered the world that night enter into my life in this moment. It is the hope the restores all things, including this feeling that Christmas is just different this year.
So I’ve come to this conclusion: It’s different this year because I’m just increasingly more aware that the greatest gift anyone could receive is learning the true meaning of Christmas. In many ways I’m thankful that the traditional feeling of Christmas was stripped away for me this year because it’s allowed me to think about that tiny baby that would grow to be my savior. Hope entered the world that night. Let us rejoice in that “different” thought rather than the excitement of a stocking full of candy and presents under the tree. This Christmas practice thinking differently. It’s really not about the perfect gift to buy for that certain someone or that favorite Christmas tradition you have. It’s about a baby and boy is that cause for shouting, “Joy to the World!”