O Come Emmanuel

**Disclaimer**
Theologians have debated for years upon years about little nit picky things that really don't define or shape my faith. I'm vaguely referencing the nittygritty subject of "what time of year was Jesus actually born?"

I really don't care. This is where tradition comes into play, and we celebrate and honor His birth in December.


THAT SAID, when I write this, I'm not talking about, "we should celebrate whenever the professionals say is more accurate!" Because lets be honest. That's going to keep changing. It was September, now its June. Oh and specific dates! My goodness. We're not even going there.

But I am talking about something maybe kind of cheesy with a hint of truth to it. So, bear with me. I'm talking about Christmas spirit.

That warm fuzzy feeling that overtakes people, (mostly emotional saps like me who keep Hallmark on nonstop the entire season and play Christmas music October 1) and makes (most people) set aside their differences to allow for some kindness and generosity. Its the same warmth that brings bell ringers with their red buckets out every December, and the same thing that prods our hearts to keep dropping leftover Kroger change into them. 

But it's more than that. And I think people know that. Whether or not people ever acknowledge that and accept it, is not for me to say, but its there just the same. Drawing people through the doors of the church every December 24.

That's quite obviously the Christmas spirit I'm talking about.

My question is this: why does Christmas spirit stop January 1? As if unanimously, we've made our new year's resolution to be "be grumpy till Valentines day. And on that day, mourn the single people." Like what is that junk?

(source)

Be logical! If in theory, Christ was born December 25, on our valentine's day, Mary would have had an infant! He's not old news! Or better yet he was growing up, so when did He visit the temple? Why isn't that some kind of recognized day. It should be. Ok maybe that is a tad on the extreme side. But I do feel like we just stop celebrating Him all too soon. Once all the nativity scenes are packed up its out of sight out of mind for most of us. Do you ever just imagine Him growing up? Doesn't that keep Him and his Spirit in your heart just a little longer through the year?

Which brings me to my bigger question: Why do we isolate the name "Emmanuel" to Christmas time?  It makes such a nice ring to all those old Christmas carols, but it means God with us! Isn't He still with us, even when the sound of carols ringing out have long since past? When the mundane begins, and work and school start, and dreary January drags on, isn't He still with us?

Isn't Christ, Christ in all His names, still true to His name Emmanuel all through the year? If we believed that, I mean really believed that, what would it change? What would change in how you responded to your relentlessly questioning child if you believed God was with you? What would change in the way you drive if you believed God was with you? What would change in the way you clean your house, or interact with co-workers, or communicated with people at the grocery store? Would our lives change at all if we really truly believed, that, God with us, Christ Emmanuel, is with us, all through the year?