I’m a sentimentalist. I admit it. This time of year, I find myself wishing my life looked a bit more like . . . well, more like the ads on TV: Fire in the fireplace, snow falling gently outside, Christmas tree all decked out, an immense number of pristinely wrapped presents underneath, and a diverse group of family and friends (all with really white teeth) gathered joyously together as Frank Sinatra’s rendition of Let It Snow plays in the background.
In the real world, Christmas doesn’t usually come close to this. For many, it’s even a painful reminder of how far from idyllic life is. Maybe this is especially true for those dealing with sexual or relational brokenness. I know one friend who discovered her husband was having an affair just before the holidays several years ago. You can imagine what comes to mind for her when “the most wonderful time of the year” rolls around.
Sexual and relational brokenness don’t take a holiday. Expressions of this abound. Struggles with content on the internet, temptations with a co-worker, just plain loneliness, trying to decide who and who not to invite to Christmas dinner. Or maybe just tension in your family when you most want there to be peace.
But contrary to what we tend to think, these aren’t distractions from the way Christmas is supposed to be. Actually, they can bring us closer to the true meaning of Christmas. The Word become flesh (John 1:24) was good news but it wasn’t a peaceful event. It was an invasion by God into a world at war (Ephesians 6:12).
Over the next few weeks of Advent, I’ll be sending out some thoughts about what it was exactly that Christ came to redeem. I’ll be focusing on sexuality. What’s it for? Why so powerful? Why so full of pleasure? Why, at the end of the day, did God make us sexual creatures?
Are you serious? At Christmas?
Yep, at Christmas. Here’s why: First, as I said, sexual brokenness doesn’t take a holiday, and we want to be there for you through this season. And second, Jesus’ incarnation means Christ became fully human to redeem all we were created to be. He took on even those parts of our humanity that are the most difficult to navigate. Especially those parts. This includes sexuality. Christ became a sexual being to redeem sexuality.
However you struggle—whether with intense personal temptations or simply with something less than ideal in your family, I think you’ll be encouraged by what you read.
Distracted,
Josh
Josh Glaser, Executive Director
[email protected]
