Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening:
A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight walking in a winter wonderland.
Later on, we'll conspire, as we dream by the fire:
To face unafraid the plans that we've made, walking in a winter wonderland.
It's a curious moment in the Christmas jingle, when they sit by the fire in winter and dream of facing the future without fear. Sitting here together on this Christmas Eve, basking in the soft glow of candle light, our hearts warmed by the presence of ancient stories and familiar faces, our spirits lifted on wings of heavenly music, it's easy to think that the Christmas story is mostly about the warmth of a stable and the wisdom of eastern sages, about Mary's hope and the innkeeper's hospitality, about the song of an angel and the birth of a child.
But the story of Jesus' birth contains much more than hope and happiness. The main characters wrestle with a lot of fear and terror as well. We read about Mary's anxiety at being an unwed mother, Joseph's fear of marrying a woman who turns out to be pregnant, the shepherds' fright at the angelic apparition in the night sky, King Herod's dismay at a new-born child already called "King of the Jews," the wise men's terror of King Herod's retribution. Each scene in the Christmas narrative is moved along by a counterpoint between fascination and fear, between terror and wonder. The question posed to each character is this: will they, at this crucial moment in their lives, be immobilized by their fear or lured on by their wonder?
That's the Christmas question, for Mary and Joseph, for the shepherds and the wise men--and for you and me. Will we be immobilized by what we fear or lured on by what we wonder at? Garry Wills got it exactly right when he said that "Christmas is a risky business--like falling in love or beginning an adventure, like birth, sex, or death, like becoming flesh and dwelling among women and men."
You and I have a lot to fear in our lives, especially at this time of year: failure, loneliness, sadness, pain, loss. But the message of this season is that in the night of our deepest fear shines a star that invites all of us to be transfixed by amazement and transformed by wonder. For the most part, the Christmas characters listened to the angels and followed the star. If you and I do the same--overcome our fear and open our hearts--we too will be led to the place where hope and joy and love have come to dwell. Then we can face the future unafraid. Which, as the Christmas jingle says, is a whole lot like walking in a winter wonderland. Copyright AllSouls 1999.