Jim: [00:00:00] Everybody, welcome to the equip cast, a weekly podcast for the archdiocese of Omaha. I'm your host, Jim Jansen. Now let's dive into some encouragement and inspiration to equip you to live your faith and to be fruitful in your mission. Let's go. Hey, everybody.

Welcome to the EquipCast coach's corner, where I break down important topics to equip you and your team for mission in your family, in your church, and in your ministry. My name is Jim Jansen. And today, I'm gonna talk about why I love and hate Christmas. So here I am. I'm sitting here with a nice warm cup of tea.

I can almost see the snow falling. I can almost hear Bing Crosby's soothing voice. I love Christmas. And yet if I'm honest, I have to say that I also hate Christmas. So okay.

First, the [00:01:00] love. Why I love Christmas? Well, I mean, it's Christmas. There's so many reasons. It's a time of generosity and family.

There's so many good things to love about the Christmas season. But lately, I've realized that part of what I love about Christmas comes from my missionary heart. You see, Christmas is a time when we believe that conversion is possible. Think about our favorite Christmas stories. They're all stories of conversion.

So, Scrooge, he was a wicked old miser. But Dickens tells a story in The Christmas Carol of a supernatural intervention that saves his soul, that reconciles him to the community. It's a story of conversion. George Bailey, He's an ambitious man, and he almost missed the glory of his simple and generous life Until, again, the Lord supernaturally intervenes, [00:02:00] and he's given eyes to see that he truly had a wonderful life. Even the Grinch.

It's another story of conversion where love restores the soul of a I don't know when they call him a man, a creature All twisted up in a world of self-made aloneness. Part of what I love about Christmas is that it's a time when we allow ourselves To believe again in the greatest miracle of all, the conversion of the human heart. Unfortunately, there's a part of me that still also hates Christmas. Now some of you are thinking, oh, here he goes. He's gonna talk about the over commercialization of Christmas.

Right? Santa and elves and shopping and excessive consumption and noise and speed that cause all of us to miss the wonderful time with our friends and family. Those things are worth hating, um, and resisting. So, you know, embrace Advent and embrace The slowness and the real meaning of Christmas. But I have to be honest, sad as it may be, I think I hate [00:03:00] The real meaning of Christmas, at least partially, because I hate small and slow.

See, part of the real meaning of Christmas is that god comes to us in small ways. I mean, you can't get much smaller than Bethlehem and a baby. I hate that. I want big and bright and loud salvation. I think I want Mount Sinai Where there was thunder and trumpets and earthquakes, never mind that the people who were actually there in the story of the exodus begged god to stop talking to them when he came with thunder.

But I think I want it loud. I think I want it fast. That's not the way Jesus comes. He comes to us small. See, part of the real meaning of Christmas is that god's salvation is also slow.

I mean, we have literally been waiting For the Messiah, for thousands of years, when he finally comes in Bethlehem, and the first thing he does Izzy runs away to Egypt. No. Granted, he has to, but [00:04:00] then he hides as a carpenter in Nazareth. He spends thirty years making tables. Then he has one day on the job, gets baptized, and goes on a forty-day retreat in the desert.

You can't get much slower than that, But I hate slow. I want a fast, quick fix. Part of the reason why I'm swept away by the hustle and bustle Of the season, even when I try and resist it, is that there's a part of me that wants to be swept away. I don't wanna be alone with my thoughts. I don't want my salvation to unfold so slowly.

I wanna be all better, and I wanna be all better now. I want the world to be all better, and I want it to be all better now. I heard once that we hate what we fear, and we fear what we hate. And my hatred of Christmas reveals that I fear the small and the slow just won't get the job done. Do I trust the lord or don't I?

I mean, [00:05:00] that's exactly what the celebration of Christmas is supposed to help heal in me. Our celebration is more than just a remembrance. It's a celebration of Christmas, the salvation of god that is slow and small. So this Christmas, I wish you the gift of trust in the slow and small salvation of god. Let me pray for us.

Uh, oh, lord, have mercy on us. Renew us in a love Of your small and slow work in our lives, in our world, and grant that our celebration of Christmas, the true meaning of Christmas, The way you choose to save us would indeed heal our hearts and our minds to receive the small and slow salvation you offer us. Amen. Alright. What are your thoughts?

Respond back in the chat at equip.archomaha.org. Again, love to hear your thoughts, your favorite Christmas movie, story of conversion. Equip.archomaha.org. [00:06:00] Thanks, everybody. Thanks for listening to the EquipCast.
We hope this episode has inspired you to live your faith and equip you to be fruitful in your mission. Stay connected with us by going to equip.archomaha.org. God bless and see you next time.