Season of Advent: Joy, Day 6

Season of Advent

Joy, Day 6

Reading:

“Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your soul.”[1]

Reflection:

According to the author of 1 Peter, the ultimate outcome of our faith is “an indescribable and glorious joy.” As I have tried to emphasize throughout these meditations on the Christmas season, we do not have to believe the Christmas story as recorded in the Gospels as literal or historical fact. Indeed, holding to a strictly literal understanding actually inhibits our ability to apply the story to our own lives. Few if any of us have ever seen angels or shepherds or Magi, yet the types of beings represented by them in the Christmas story are all around us in family, co-workers, and friends.

            We have overly romanticized and divinized the characters and circumstances of the birth of Jesus to the point where our only option is to worship him instead of doing as he requested – to follow him. We cannot follow someone into 1^st century Bethlehem any more than we could follow Alice into Wonderland. But once we are able to insert our story and circumstances into their parallels in the Christmas story we realize we can not only find ourselves in the narrative, but we are already a part of the narrative. And there we can find an indescribable and glorious joy, even in the ordinariness of our everyday lives.

Closing Meditation:

Where do you find parallels in your life to the Christmas story? How can it come alive for you this season? Ponder these questions during a time of quiet reflection.

Journal the thoughts and feelings that arise.

This daily series, Contemplative Christmas, is replacing my weekly Life Notes until January 6, 2026, when my weekly blog will resume. The thoughts expressed here are mine. To engage with me: ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] 1 Peter 1:8