The Glue of Christmas
By Kathryn King
When my children were younger, craft night at Maryville FUMC was one of our favorite Christmas traditions. The boys enjoyed making the various crafts and admiring them when we returned home. The first time we participated, my older son proudly told his Nana that he made ten “crabs.”
As the boys got older, they bemoaned the display of their crafts on our Christmas tree. I succumbed, and we now have a lovely, color-coordinated tree for the holidays.
But the tree decorated with “crabs” is still my favorite. It reminds me of the church members who generously volunteered their time to pre-stage supplies so little hands could assemble the projects without much frustration, the boys’ joy as they assembled the crafts, and all … that … glue!
Reflecting on it now, glue really is the central part of that tradition…and I’m not talking about tacky glue.
One of the definitions for glue is “something that binds together.” Aren’t Christmas traditions and families all about being bound together?
In just this one tradition, there are many examples of “glue.” The adults preparing the crafts were glued together as they assembled the packets and guided the children’s activities. Our church community came together in fellowship during the event. Families were bound together as that participated, returned home and displayed their new creations. And when I looked at the crafts on my tree, I was tied to the recollections of the event, the community, and my family.
In the same way, Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection bind us to God. In John 14:6, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
During this Christmas, may we reflect on the glue that binds us to our families, our faith communities, and our God.
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