Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Christmas joy?

Have you ever thought that Christmas is such a weird time of year? On one hand, there is this joy about how amazing and incredible the birth of Jesus is. What Christ sacrificed is nothing small or insignificant. It is an incredibly humbling and life changing event that I could go on and on in expressing my thankfulness. The part that kills me about this season is the hurt that others feel. Over the past month, I have noticed this deep pain that grips at the heart of others as this season unfolds. December is one of the biggest times for heart attacks, suicides, anxiety and depression. Why is that the case? How can a month filled with gatherings, community, expressions of love, and reminders of Christ's gift and sacrifice cause more of those things than any other time of the year. How can the "most wonderful time of the year" be so painful? Is there a solution to fix it?