Time Marches On

There are so many wonderful aspects of the Orthodox Faith, not the least of which is how the Church reminds that time marches on. Yesterday we celebrated the Nativity in the Flesh of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. Today, the Church reminds us that it was not a one-day event.

Our society very quickly moves on after Christmas. I often reflect upon the time when I saw a Christmas Tree on the curb for garbage pick up the morning of December 26^th. That would have meant the family had taken down all their decorations on Christmas Day. It was as if they didn’t want to celebrate one moment more. Even that story sounds familiar.

When the wise men departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.” But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaos reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Matthew 2.13-23

Despite the efforts of King Herod, and so many after him, the glorious impact of the Birth of Christ has never been stopped. It wasn’t just one day. The reminder from the Church in today’s Gospel should inspire us to refuse to allow the joy of Christmas to fade.

In fact, the Church does continue the celebration for Twelve Days, until Epiphany, when we will celebrate the ‘public reveal’ of Christ and the Holy Trinity. The birth took place quietly and without fanfare, but the news quickly made its way to all the world.

There is no reason for our lives not to be different ‘just because’ we are finished unwrapping gifts and slowly putting decorations back in their storage places. The tradition of the Church to ‘keep the decorations up’ until after Epiphany is a testimony to our desire to prolong the celebration.

If we allow our lives to ‘return to normal’ after Christmas, maybe we weren’t celebrating our Savior in the first place. Maybe we were just getting together as family and enjoying a nice party. If we return to work as if nothing is different, then we didn’t notice God had entered our lives.

Just because time marches on, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to change. By the time the Church is ‘finished’ celebrating Christmas we will hear the words of Saint John the Baptist, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3.2)

Allow the Birth of Our Savior to change the way you think about life. Allow it to change the way you live. Allow it to change you. Let time march on in a new direction, one focused more on God and His love and grace.