The Sanctuaries of Christmas

Welcome to the 12 days of Christmas!  Most of us forget (unless you are professionally church-y) that the Christmas season actually BEGINS on Christmas day, and not the day after Thanksgiving…or Halloween for that matter. As a way to observe the Christmas season this year, I’ll write a post each day on what it seems to me we really yearn for, seek and anticipate this time of year.  I’ll call them “sanctuaries.”  These sanctuaries are spiritual experiences we yearn for and need all the time, but they seem to be concentrated around the Christmas season.  When we say things like “let’s keep the Christmas spirit going all year round!”  -  it’s often these sanctuaries we know we want and need more than just once a year. 

A “Sanctuary” is a sacred space. It is a space away from the ordinary world, away from threats and stresses, a place usually of tranquility and protection, a place often thought of as a meeting space with God.

As human beings, we create sanctuaries in a variety of ways…

·        Traditionally -  the heart of our church buildings is the sanctuary
·        We build “sanctuaries” to protect wildlife from unnatural predators that threaten their existence.
·        Sometimes we think of “giving sanctuary” to those threatened by political oppression and violence.
·        God commanded one day in every seven be a sanctuary of time for rest and savoring the gifts of creation
 

But, we’ve gotten less attuned to our need for sanctuary as we’ve allowed our work and activities and stresses of life crowd in every corner of our lives.

Christmas has been a powerful sanctuary for us – obviously for Christians, but even in the diversity of our nation and world, there seems to be a hunger for an end-of–the-year sanctuary…a sacred space and time for nurture, meeting God, reconnection and reconciliation. 

The sanctuaries that the Christmas season offers us are:  History & Tradition, Home, Wonder, Mystery, Hope & Joy, Darkness, Light, Giving, Kindness & Love, Peace, and Meeting God.