Merry
Christmas! How many times have I said that during the past few weeks? At least
a hundred times. How about you? Probably about the same. I will confess that I
enjoy this time of year when I can wish sales clerks and grocery store checkers
something more meaningful than “Have a good day.” “Have a good day” is a very
generic phrase, while “Merry Christmas” is packed with all kinds of heart-warming
images: gathering with friends to celebrate the season, enjoying holiday meals
with loved ones, and watching the eyes of children sparkle as they empty their
stockings and tear open their gifts.
But as much
as I love saying “Merry Christmas” to people, there are times when I feel
guilty for saying it. I know that I will have a merry Christmas, as I do most
years; and this year was no exception. One of our children who lives near us
visited with our grandchildren on Christmas afternoon, and the other one phoned
us on Christmas morning. I have a comfortable home and enough money to buy
gifts for all the people that I love. I have good friends who are kind enough
to invite me to their homes to celebrate the season. My holidays are always
full of joy!
But I know
that there are people who won’t have a joyous holiday no matter how many times
I wish them “Merry Christmas.” That phrase rings hollow to anyone who is
grieving the loss of a loved one, or who has lost all their possessions in a
fire, or who is a caregiver to a spouse whose health is steadily declining.
Have a merry Christmas? You must be kidding! But I’m not ready to throw the
phrase “Merry Christmas” out in the trash with the torn wrapping paper and
shredded bows. There is a way that we can reclaim this phrase so that we can
wish it to anyone, no matter how difficult their circumstances might be.
To do that, though,
we need to get into a time machine and return to 18th century England. It was a
time when many poorer people were still illiterate; so at Christmas time, roaming
carolers proclaimed the message of Christ’s birth in song so that everyone
could learn it, whether or not they could read or had ever been inside a
church. One of the songs that those carolers sang is one that we know, too: “God
rest ye merry, gentlemen.” That opening phrase – “God rest ye merry” – is
widely misunderstood today, because the meanings of the words have changed. It
would have been crystal clear to listeners of 200 years ago, though. The word
“rest” had nothing to do with stopping work, but meant “keep” or “continue.”
And “merry” might mean “happy,” but it could also mean “brave” or “courageous.”
(Remember Robin Hood’s “merry men”? They weren’t stand-up comedians; they were
brave men who fought courageously.) Any 18th century person hearing
the phrase “God rest ye merry” would have instantly understood that it meant
“God keep you brave and courageous.”
Now, that’s
a way that I can honestly wish everyone “Merry Christmas” without feeling
guilty about it! Do I wish courage to every single person on earth? I certainly
do! I wish courage to everyone who is suffering from an illness, and to all
their caregivers. “God’s presence is with all of you,” I want to say, “and God
isn’t going anywhere.” I wish courage to everyone who doesn’t have enough money
to make ends meet. “Hang in there!” I want to tell them. “Jesus cares for you,
and there are lots of folks who want to help you out in his name.” I wish
courage to every person who lives on the street, or in a car, or in a cardboard
box under an overpass. I want to tell them “People run food pantries and soup
kitchens and homeless shelters to help you get back on your feet.” I wish
courage to everyone who is dealing with grief, whether it is due to the loss of
a loved one. or the loss of a pet. or the loss of a home, or the loss of
possessions. “You can’t lose God’s love,” I want to tell them; “so if you can
hang on to anything, hang on to that; and be brave.”
And all those
people I’ve just mentioned only scratches the surface of the huge iceberg of
the people who need courage! We all need courage at one time or another. We all
know that life isn’t fair, and that very bad things happen to very good people
all the time. Sometimes we even wonder whether God is really out there caring
for us or not. I don’t know a whole lot, but I know the answer to that question!
Yes, God is out there; God loves you very, very much; and God will never, ever
leave you, even though life is sometimes so hard that we can’t feel God with us
at all. Maybe those are the very times that we need to hear the wish “Merry
Christmas!” Have courage! God is still with us.
In the
future, when you sing that old hymn “God rest ye merry, gentlemen,” listen to
its message with the ears of our 18th century ancestors. “God keep you brave
and courageous; don’t be dismayed about anything!” The message of the angels
brings us “comfort and joy” not because we sit by a crackling fire surrounded
by lots of gifts from family and friends; but because God has come to us in the
Christ child whose birth we celebrate; and that same loving God will be with us
forever. What wonderful news! Merry Christmas to all of you.
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