Jesus In A Box

We have a family tradition. The week-end after Thanksgiving, when all our family is together at the same time in the same place, we decorate the house for Christmas. We get out all the boxes and as we unpack each box of Christmas decorations, we remember Christmases past; we recall with love when and where and from whom each decorative piece came. Then comes the dilemma of trying to decide where to place each decoration.

"Mom, we've found the manger scene, but we can't find Jesus!" "Keep looking! I know He's in one of these boxes because I remember packing Him away last Christmas."

We have a tendency to put everything in boxes. Then we put labels on each box. It's our way of organizing life so that life is more manageable and life makes some sense to us. On the other hand, boxes are confining, have strict limits and tend to separate one thing from another.

The tragedy of Christmas is that we treat Jesus just like one of our Christmas ornaments. Oh yeah, Jesus is nice to have around, but merely as a decoration. After Christmas, we put Jesus back in the box along with all our other Christmas items. Jesus-in-a-box! We confine His wondrous love and mercy and grace to those people we feel are most deserving, people we like to associate with, people most like us. We limit His influence to the "religious" compartment of our lives. We don't think "outside the box." We separate his Spirit from our daily routines. We put Jesus in one box; we put our family, our work, school, and our social lives in another box. We wouldn't want them to get mixed up!

The good news from God is that the Spirit-of-Christmas cannot be "boxed in." God's love and mercy and grace will always go far beyond any limits we impose. Goodness and rightness will not be confined only to the religious parts of our lives. The Christmas Spirit, instead, tends to tear down all the walls that separate us from God and from one another. The Spirit of the Christ sings and shouts and shines 365 days of the year! Despite all our efforts to keep Jesus "boxed in," He will never fit our human limitations. We try very hard to file Jesus away in a box, but he refuses to stay hidden! We mistakenly think that we can treat Jesus just like every other thing we own and control; we can't! The Child who was born in a manger in Bethlehem is none other than the King of heaven and earth! The Child whose birthday we celebrate each year, is alive and well and in control of life -- every day of the year!

As we unwrap our Christmas gifts this year, lets also take the "wraps" off Jesus. Let His Spirit take control of our heart and mind and soul. Let his Spirit lead us into new depths of living and to new heights of giving. Let his Spirit loose, so that His love and mercy and grace might fill all the people we meet with joy and peace and hope. Let his Spirit change all that is worldly in our lives into that which is Heavenly.

Keep Jesus in a box? No! Not this Christmas! Not ever!