Every year I write a Christmas Eve Reflection. Usually it's in a fully decorated home with Christmas music playing in the background. It's written in the midst of the frenzied joy of Christmas in the West and I usually have presents to wrap and stockings to fill.
This year I write it from the sunshine of Thessaloniki and a 4th floor apartment. The sun is starting to set and the fading light peaks through floor to ceiling windows. My youngest son is sitting near me in what can only be described as a "companionable silence" - trite except it's not. It is delightful.
Our Christmas reflects the year we have had. It is unusual but we are grateful. There is little stress as we prepare for a midnight Liturgy and the dawning of Christmas morning. It is a gift.
Earlier today I sat in a salon and got my hair cut. The longer I sat, the more Greek I became and the result pleased the stylist greatly. Later I walked toward Aristotle Square, joining crowds of cafe goers musicians, and city dwellers. I thought about my family members who are not here and missed them.
I got back to the apartment where we are staying and read about a friend who is dying. She has lived life so well, she has loved so well. Tears and the juxtaposition of the joy of a holiday combined with an imminent death flood over me.
I am so aware this year of the many events in all of our lives that we keep hidden from the spotlight of social media. Despite what the social media developers would like us to believe, we share only the highlights and the well-edited photographs of our lives. But the truly important things we share with those who don't need edits or highlights, those who walk us through shadows and into the light of grace.
The betrayals and separations, emergency room visits and hospitalizations are left out of the public narrative. We don't share the trips to the counselor's office and the hard soul work of confession. We don't share the nights of tears we shed for those we love or the sadness of a womb that is empty. We don't share those moments of grace when we have prayed for the impossible and have received.
And this is as it should be. We don't have the capacity to be emotionally naked with everyone, nor should we cast our great pearls of grace before the swine of social media.
Instead we live life in the light and shadows of daily grace, periodically posting snapshots of that grace for the world outside to see.
So as you see my snapshots, and as I see yours, may we not yield to the temptation to believe that these are anything more than snapshots. May we remember that there is enough sadness in all our lives to crush us, and enough grace to raise us up.
Most of all, may we remember that a baby in a manger changed our world and hope was born. Merry Christmas Eve dear friends!