When we think of Christmas, we think of angelic faces and egg nog. And of course, who can forget the main star of the show — a baby boy who entered the world on a silent night in an unknown stable? This quiet peace seems far from most of our realities. We have deadlines at work. We have shopping, which involves trying to be more and more creative to buy things for people who already have everything they need. We have travel plans and watching college football or parades with relatives.
John gives us a slightly different take on the nativity scene that I think matches our reality a bit closer. He explains how a dragon is out to get the woman and her son (does King Herod ring a bell?) and how he is unsuccessful to thwart the birth of Christ. Enraged, the dragon unleashes his fury on the offspring, or the church. It should not surprise us that Satan and his henchmen are working overtime to rob us of the meaning of Christmas, especially when it comes to those who are supposed to know what it’s all about.
Psalm 10 speaks of a proud, wicked man who has no room of God in his thoughts. One concrete way of capturing the essence of Christmas and win the spiritual battle is to make room for God in our thought life. When the tendency is to be filled with many distractions, let’s cultivate a heart (and mind) that makes room for Jesus this holiday season.