More Than a Story: The Hidden Message of Christmas

Just before his Christmas break, a student was taking his philosophy test. He finished all the questions except the very last one. That question was unexpected. It was: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”

The student thought it was a joke. He remembered seeing the lady several times. He could describe her as tall, with dark hair, and probably in her fifties. He smiled at her two or three times but didn’t know her name or why he should.

He handed in his test paper and left the answer to that question blank. Another student in the class asked the instructor if the question would affect their test grade. The professor replied, “Absolutely”. He went on to explain the reason the question was important by telling them, "In your life, you will meet many people. Each one of them is significant. You can smile at them and say 'hello'. You can show some interest and ask them their name, who they are, their story and how each of them is special. Along the way, you may learn much more than you think."

The student always remembered those words he heard during that Christmas season. He also learned that the lady's name was Rose.

The experience with the professor reminded the student of one reason we celebrate Christmas and Holy Days. It serves as a cue that we are all vessels of the Divine's presence and represent the light that lights up every man and woman who comes into the world.

Moreover, the Christmas story symbolizes the spiritual awareness that can take place for each person, our nation, and our world. But we must be receptive to it.

Today, more than ever, there is a need for that receptivity. There is a sense of urgency in America and the planet. We can choose a heightened sense of separation and divisiveness, or greater transformation. The Christmas story gives us clues on how to respond to our challenges individually and collectively. The tip off is in the word "responsibility" – our response-ability.

Many on a spiritual path have been reading the same books, listening to talks about principles, and studying the same things. At some point, we realize we will hear nothing new or something we still need to learn. Instead, we are to access what we know more deeply.

After all, we don't say, "I'm not going to a Christmas Service because I already know what happened." Neither is someone from the Jewish tradition saying, "I'm not going to Passover Seder this year because I know the story."

It’s not that the story is different each year. Instead, each year, we become different (hopefully). So, the point is not the tale of Christmas. Instead, it’s how much of ourselves we bring to the story and how receptive we are to it so that it transforms us.

The need for spiritual awareness and personal transformation matters now more than ever. We have the gift to see the light in ourselves and all we meet. That professor sought to remind his students of this by asking that question on the test.

We have the choice to see the light of God in everyone and be the light of God in our own lives. As we fully embody that truth and bring it to our world, we live out the meaning of the Holy Season during December and every day of our lives.

Peace and Blessings,

James