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Rev. Dr. Kate Winters is a writer, educator and co-pastor at The First Church in Belfast, United Church of Christ, which will not be gathering together this Christmas Eve.
A few weeks ago, I was talking with a woman from my congregation who suddenly cried, “But what are we going to do about Christmas?” I heard the pain in her voice.
She has struggled the last eight months with various sorts of church gatherings via technology, Zoom meetings and local access television, both live and recorded. Living alone and missing physical connection, nothing has “felt like church.” Now this coronavirus was threatening to take away the most treasured event of all, the candlelight Christmas Eve service that she has never missed, not once, in her almost 80 years.
As a pastor, my heart went out to her as I too will miss this most meaningful service. But this year, the meaning of Christmas cannot come from our traditional gatherings. This year the meaning must come from acting out the very faith that Christmas celebrates. Instead of singing songs about the child Jesus who grows to teach us about the sacredness of life, we will be guarding that life for all children, all women and men, each sacred and treasured. This year, Christmas calls us to protect one another as our faith calls us to love one another as we are loved by God.
How do we do this? First, it is time to expand our notion of family. We get very sentimental about family this time of year, but it is often shortsighted. In the face of the pandemic, it is essential to realize along with Scrooge at the time of his enlightenment that “Humankind is my business!”
Humankind is our family! Overwhelmed nurses and doctors are getting sick and dying for the sake of their patients. These are our family. Essential workers who hardly make a living wage put their health on the line to keep our communities going. These are our family. Public health workers and governmental officials who are losing sleep trying to keep us safe while at the same time worrying about our livelihoods, these too are our family.
This season, let us acknowledge our wider family by doing all we can to keep them safe and whole. Wearing a mask honors them as kin. Keeping our distance recognizes the value we place on the lives of one another and ourselves. Choosing not to gather in groups for worship in our sanctuaries is in itself an act of worship as we reverence the life that God has given us. We will not take it for granted by exposing ourselves and others to danger.
Yes, there is pain in this. But our faith teaches that love makes demands and often comes at a cost. This year, let us sacrifice graciously for our wider family.
Those who fear that our religious freedom is being infringed upon by not being able to gather do not see the whole picture. Our freedom to live out the essential tenets of our faith is not being denied. In fact, we are being challenged to live them out in a most public way. We are choosing love first, perhaps a wider love than before. It involves the entire human family and responds to the great suffering of our day. Our empty sanctuaries on Christmas Eve will be silent signs of witness to the One who will be born in us as love wherever we are.
The Maine Council of Churches has put out a public service announcement that involves people of many faiths speaking of their response to the pandemic. First, I will be happy to share it with all who wonder what we are going to do for Christmas. There are many ideas there. Second, I am grateful that people of faith are speaking clearly about our responsibility to one another in this era of COVID-19. It is essential that we live our faith out loud these days. We may not only inspire, but may save many lives.