Tuesday, December
26, 2023
POST CHRISTMAS MELANCHOLY
Luke 2:15-19
15 And it came to
pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said
one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is
come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came
with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they
had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning
this child.
18 And all they
that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
For many, there is an
after-Christmas letdown. It feels like someone sucked all the oxygen from the
room. The festive tree sits there a bit undone like a beautiful lady before her
morning coffee. The presents are gone and the expectation with them. The weather
devices say that it is 34 degrees but that it feels like 29. Who determines
that?
For Mary, there was the exhaustion
of fresh motherhood. The shepherds had gone, and the Magi wouldn’t arrive for
several more days. It was quiet and her body ached. She didn’t feel beautiful
or special on that first morning.
In many Western Christian traditions, there are 12 days of Christmas,
culminating around Jan. 6, known as the feast of the Epiphany. That’s when many
believe the “Magi” or “wise men” or “three kings” arrive to see the newborn
baby Jesus.
Slowly, we begin to realize that the day after Christmas is not only the end
of one thing but the beginning of another. Soon, or eventually, things will
return to whatever is normal.
Ps 5:11-12
11 But let all
those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy,
because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in
thee.
12 For thou,
LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a
shield.
Lord, encourage the hearts of all those who must return to whatever is
normal. AMEN
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