Christmas Message to Our Members and Followers

From the PCMNY Board

It has happened again – the cold weather arrived, Santa is pictured all over town, children make lists of gifts they yearn for, and adults feel stressed by all the “to dos” and “must haves”. How could this year be different?

Join us in a fantasy of Christmas redone. We would relax, sit with family and friends just enjoying their company without stressing over gifts, decorations or food preparation. We would listen, really listen, to the beautiful Christmas hymns and share our thoughts and feelings with those around us without worry of what others might think.

How might we accomplish this change from harried to happy? Maybe we could start by meditating on what Christmas is. It is the celebration of God sending the long awaited Savior to a world torn by political unrest,  tremendous gaps between the ruling class and  “ordinary” people, and a time when religious differences created rifts between many. Despite all this discord this child, the Savior, was born to an unlikely couple as they traveled to fulfill a government mandate. The new parents were not greeted by loving relatives but by shepherds who responded to their perception of something special happening. Can we join those shepherds as they seek to understand why this child, this birth, was so important?

Let us place ourselves in the stable with Mary, Joseph and the child. What did they seek? Protection from the elements, safety and a place to rest and recuperate. Isn’t that what we too seek? Don’t we too yearn to feel safe? To feel surrounded by those who will sustain us with good will? To rejoice with those who will share our joy and hope even if they don’t fully understand it?

For this Christmas when so many have been confused and exhausted by the “New Normal” let us accept that life changes from time-to-time and that we need to find the faith within ourselves to accept the gift of a Savior who appeared as an infant so many years ago. We can find hope that Jesus, our Prince of Peace will guide us to greater ability to live a nonviolent life even in a violent world. We can take the small steps that will let us resolve to live as our Savior wants by showing love toward each other even when we do not feel that love. Let these be our Christmas gifts to ourselves and to those around us this Christmas 2021.