The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news… Matthew 1:19
We have just turned the calendar page to November, and we have already begun the Christmas season. Yes, I know, it is not even Thanksgiving, and we have not even bought a turkey yet. That particular holiday is lost in the Christmas rush.
Many memes on Facebook are having fun with the idea that this is the Christmas season- from now until December 31. It lasts until January 6 for our Eastern Orthodox brethren. Christmas ads are already saturating the airwaves, thankfully, ready to push away the dreadful political ads. I am ecstatic that we can bury all political ads on November 4!
So, is the Christmas season rushed? Yes. Do I personally care? No. I am glad that we can have a significant season in our culture when we can have some warm family stories and a sense of traditional cultural harmony- at least on the surface.
Yes, the birth of Jesus has been co-opted by the culture and it has been mercilessly monetized. Agreed. However, the birth of Jesus into a broken world is exactly the reminder we need at this time. Jesus came into the world to show us a better way to relate to our fellow human beings. His entrance into human life exemplified love and healing in a hostile Roman world of oppression and pain.
We live in a world of oppression and suffering now for many people around the world. If we can remind ourselves and others that Jesus came into the world as a humble and vulnerable infant to show us the way to live, then we can celebrate with that same world a different way to live together. We can love one another in his name, feed the hungry, heal the sick, advocate for the marginalized, and offer hope to a world desperately in need of the way Jesus told us to live.
So, I say, on this November 2, 2026, Merry Christmas! May the joy of Jesus coming into the world be celebrated all year round!
Prayer: Lord, we celebrate the presence of Jesus all year long! Amen
