Here in the province of BC, as in most parts of the world right now, there have been ongoing announcements about new and returning restrictions on gathering and travelling, socializing, and dancing. In the press conference I just watched, having to do with Omicron inspired restrictions, dancing was a big topic. Apparently Omicron loves dancing.
Of course, what the public health officials and politicians meant was dancing in groups. It is still okay to dance on your own or with fully vaccinated people in your own household. I’m gonna dance like crazy. See how Omicron likes that!
All of these resurrected restrictions come just before Christmas. Omicron outraces our plans. Our annual Christmas Eve gathering with very many people eating a lot of food is now down to 10 people plus family. This could provide a fun exercise of “who that’s already been invited gets cut?”. A co-worker of mine is in management at a major ticketing company. As I write she is on a zoom call with yet another hockey team and yet another concert venue determining how to tell half of those who thought that they were attending an event that they no longer are. I note that when Public Health Officer Bonnie Henry was announcing, and I quote, that “All New Year’s Eve parties are suspended” the advertising banner on the news channel screen had a third of screen ad promoting “Bryan Adams’ New Years Extravaganza”. Just like that it’s a New Year’s Eve Extravagonza. Still, Dr. Henry doesn’t mean ALL parties. You can still party and dance at home, on your own or with one or two other willing people from your own household.
This is something, isn’t it? Once again we are having to let go of traditions. Christmas Eve at church will once again not be the same. As someone who was largely responsible for planning Christmas Eve services at church there is an up side to letting go of traditions. In our sentimental imagination, Christmas is never allowed to suck. In fact, there was pressure at times to make every Christmas better than the last Christmas. If Christmas sucked then that would be a failure. What if the Christmas Eve service was not magical at all? What if it was less magical than it had been before? What if things did not come together? What if you never got that super Christmassy feeling?
Maybe there is gift in having some of what we take for granted taken away. There is at least the awakening to appreciation, the reminder that nothing at all is for sure. There is another layer though, one that I would often remind people of in pastoral counselling. When we are in a circumstance that we would prefer not to be in, there are ways that we can see the world and ourselves and the transcendent, that we could not see if everything was as we think it should be. Some of these ways of seeing turn out to be the most life-giving and sustaining.
It might not be the easiest thing to believe, but we will come out of this pandemic. It will end. When it is over we will see the world from the vantage point of no pandemic. So how are we to see now, when we are tired and weary and spent? Maybe we will see Christmas in a way we could not have before. Maybe we will see it more clearly. I love the sentimental side of Christmas, but I always listen for those “Christmas Sucks" stories as well. A friend of mine once told our congregation about a terrible Christmas taken over by broken down vehicles, financial calamity and extended family frustrations. Everything to do with Christmas was swallowed up. Somehow though, maybe after the fact, this helped to focus Christmas more. Once the expectations were dropped it became more possible to see. So, whatever you are having to give up this Christmas, by God’s grace, I pray that your seeing would be blessed. And remember you don’t have to give up dancing. You can dance on your own as much as you would like, and even a little bit more. You could even dance while seated in your chair at a restaurant as those will still be allowed to operate. Maybe you’ll even dance more than you have in a long, long time.
And quick note. I just returned from the mailbox. There was a lovely, handwritten card wishing my wife Jennifer and myself a merry Christmas. However, no return address and no signing of a name on the card. So, if you sent a card saying “Thanks for all your kindness this year”, you are most welcome.
Merry Christmas