A Forgetful People
By Anna Lee
As it is with so many families, decorating the Christmas tree is a staple of our family's Christmas traditions. Growing up, we always had a real tree that we picked out as a family. Once in its stand, we straightened the tree before wrestling with tangled strands of lights. Then came the time to unpack the ornaments and hang them on the tree. The brightly colored glass ball ornaments went on first. Then, we brought out the box of some of our most treasured possessions--the family ornaments. This box contained ornaments cross stitched by family members, purchased as mementos of trips and special events, and crafted by our tiny fingers as young children. The decorating always slowed down at this point because we had to tell and re-tell the stories behind each ornament. We would laugh until we cried and cry until we laughed about each special story.
Our family's tree bears witness to the life of our family. It represents who we are and what is most important to us. And now, as my husband and I are filling a tree of our own, we are now the ones telling the stories. We tell our children stories about who they are and where they came from, stories about faith and family. This tradition of re-telling the story is what Advent is all about. We come to the same seasons in the Christian calendar again and again because we need to remember our story so that we can remember who we are and what is of greatest importance to us. We are a forgetful people, and we need to be reminded again and again of God's great love for each of us and the entire world, a love story written in a barn in Bethlehem.
Comments
Post a Comment