How to Have a White Christmas

‘White Christmas,’ the title track from the 1953 film by the same name, communicates such a simple sentiment. In fact, short of the carols that have to do with the nativity story more directly, this Christmas song may just be my favorite for its exceedingly short list of wants, plainly spoken, contentedly stated.

To my way of thinking, if we would sing ‘White Christmas,’ we are saying that we have everything else we need. The only thing left is a fresh blanket of snow.

Yes, I know what you will say. In the year of our Lord, 2022, Christmas has now both come and gone. What am I doing bringing it up again? But that is alright. There is always the next one to prepare for, in a manner of speaking. And Christmas should not be put behind us so soon after the particular day for it has passed on our calendars.

Actually, to tell you the truth, the fact of Christmas being more behind us than before us has me feeling pensive. I find that a certain question arises now as much or more as it did before.

How else might we have a white Christmas besides dreaming, hoping, and praying for snow? Not everyone gets snow for Christmas, you know.

“Come now, let us reason together, says Yahweh: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

So writes Isaiah early on in the Old Testament book that bears his name, speaking as he does the word of the Lord to God’s people, Israel. The fulfillment of this is found in Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate this time of the year.

On this podcast, Christmas or no, we talk and think of current events. And what is in the news? What is happening in the wider world? Again and again, wherever we look, the problem of man’s sin and what to do about it confronts us.

For many, this is a hard time of the year on a personal and interpersonal level. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, they are stressed rather than at peace. And this is in no small part because of unresolved conflict between them and their friends or family they once held dear. Now there is a rift. Someone sinned against someone else, but it was never resolved. Forgiveness was either not asked for, or forgiveness was not received when it was asked for.

The thought occurs to me that with inflation dissuading so many this year to buy gifts at all, or to spend as much as they normally would on presents for others, or getting together for big celebratory meals, perhaps the most precious gift we could either give or receive would be peace with God and one another, and our sins being made white as snow, whether or not it’s Christmastime.

If we would share this gift, and have that peace, we must look to the Prince of Peace. Only in the God who took on flesh is meaningful reconciliation possible. To give or receive it is too high for man alone, but he can have it with God’s help.

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