Christmas, a hope in uncertainty

I gave them Christmas Day for many people represents a very significant moment. These days some set aside a space outside of the daily routine to share time with loved ones, enjoy vacations with good food and value the experience. However, it is not the same for everyone. Precisely, the cultural expectation we have about Christmas is a reason to bring out feelings and emotions such as deep sadness, lack of meaning, anger, pain, bitterness, uncertainty, among many others.

For many, expressing feelings is not an easy task, as they have to deal with comments such as “don't be sad”, “don't think about that anymore”, among other common phrases that, although they can be shared in good faith, are not necessarily the best response. . It is difficult for these people to assimilate a time of so many mixed feelings. For this reason, I will be sharing some foundations and syntheses from Christian faith and psychology that can help you in this season.

More than two thousand years ago Jesus of Nazareth was born in a manger in the company of Mary and Joseph. During that long-awaited day, some angels appeared to some shepherds saying: “ Do not be afraid; For behold, I give you tidings of great joy, which will be for all the people: that to you has been born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord .” (Luke 2:10-11). That voice proclaiming hope in the midst of fear was difficult to believe. In fact, you may be wondering what this story has to do with the situation I mentioned above? For a better understanding I will be doing a brief historical tour.

The gospel of Luke begins with reference to the days of Augustus Caesar. This at first appears to be just another detail; However, it cannot be overlooked. In those days, the Jews were going through very difficult times being dominated by the Roman Empire and the announcement that a Savior would come carried with it a sense of hope but at the same time of disbelief. First, Julius Caesar proclaimed himself “god”; Then Augustus Caesar, being his precursor, was considered “the son of God” for the Romans. This man spread so much fear that some historians say he murdered his wife and children because they went against his will. This is just a hint that we can perceive in reference to the fear, trepidation, anguish and uncertainty that the Jewish people were going through. It is then that, paradoxically, a voice of hope is raised.

This voice comes to turn the world upside down. In other words, to remove power from oppressive rulers and to exalt the poor and lowly (Isaiah 57:15). How curious, right? God comes to save the world with a hope that is difficult to assimilate; through a young teenager giving birth in a manger and celebrated by unknown shepherds. That is the same hope that Jesus himself proclaimed “The kingdom of heaven is at hand…” (Matthew 4:7).

This hope, in addition to being conceived by the Spirit of God, has practical purposes for our daily lives. Through scientific literature from the positive psychology approach, it provides us with information to understand hope. Carlos Albizu-Miranda suggests that the dysfunctional person is one who has lost hope, who does not feel loved and has lost the ability to love. We can say that lack of confidence has a negative relationship with positive mental health. To a greater or lesser degree, we can identify with this dysfunction and, in some way, we can all feel that we are missing something. For this reason, Christmas has such a leading role in our “being”. Hope in Christ Jesus renews us and provides us with “a hope that does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts” (Romans 5:5).

In psychological terms, according to Stotland, hope is defined as the expectation of achieving goals perceived as important in life. Additionally, the American Psychological Association defines hope as "the expectation that one will have positive experiences or that a potentially threatening or negative situation will not materialize or will ultimately result in a favorable state of affairs." Indeed, hope has a great impact on our social, emotional, physical and spiritual health, as it is positively correlated with satisfaction and also works as a buffer for stressful life events. Furthermore, it is hope that makes us prevail and persevere in our fight to continue believing.

Today, if you are going through a time of pain and suffering, I invite you to rest in the hope that faith in Jesus Christ provides us. Hope transcends optimism and goes beyond our “I” because it is a trust placed in God. God decided to come into this world as 100% human and provide hope, faith and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). This meaning transcends parties, meals and vacations, because Christmas is a symbol of hope, because God's love sustains our lives in difficult times.