I can’t help but offer a Christmas reflection every year. It’s a tradition of mine that started some 15 or 20 years ago, arriving in the form of a letter, sermonette, or online blog. The month of December always invites me towards introspection. The warmth, magic, and mystery of the Christmas message—reflecting on Christ, the manger scene, the silent night, thinking about all the gifts I’ve been given over the course of my life always seems to evoke a response.
When Christ was born some 2,000 years ago, he intersected time and eternity. This to me, is a great mystery—evidence that there is an intertwined relationship between the two.
I have a hard time grasping eternity, and it can be easy to waste our time here on earth. That is a great tragedy, for time is our most valuable resource.
Philosopher James K. A. Smith states in his fantastic book, How to Inhabit Time:
“The paradigm of this intersection of time and eternity is the incarnation of God in Christ – the moment that is the fulcrum of human history. The covenant promise, that started with God to Abraham, and culminated with Christ reverberates throughout history. Church worship, reflected in the liturgical calendar, help center and align us.
He goes on to say,
Gods story is ongoing, unfolding, unfurling. We live as a futural people animated by hope. We are called to join the Spirit of God coursing through history. If it were a symphony, what part would I play in it?”
This Christmas, may you find that intersection. May you play a beautiful part. May you be a light that brings joy to someone else. May you be a blessing to somebody, be that a friend, family member, neighbor, or stranger.
Yes, God’s story is still unfolding, and we get to be a part of it. What does it look like as it unfolds into eternity?
Jon Foreman is the lead singer of the band Switchfoot. I’m sure you’ve heard of them. I’ve seen them in concert more times than I can count, and it’s always a life-giving, life-affirming experience. Jon’s unique lyrics are also deeply introspective and honest. They wrestle with faith, doubt, mortality, and belonging—all wrapped in soaring anthems.
But perhaps the biggest thread is making your life count in the HERE AND NOW.
In concert, one of their most potent and powerful songs from their vast catalog is called “Where I Belong.” Foreman says the song is “about a promise kept, dead or alive.” If you’re looking for a song that will make you FEEL ALIVE, this is the one. The emotional, communal centerpiece of the show, It’s always the last song they play. Switchfoot fans even bring a handmade flag bearing the name of the song to every show, that is thrown on stage once it begins.
“I still believe we can live forever, You and I, we begin forever now.” Towards the end of the song, he sings the phrase, over and over…
Forever, now.
Forever, now.
Forever, NOW.
Then he sings the final note, as loud as he can for as long as he can, until he finally runs out of breath. Go watch a live version on YouTube, and you’ll see what I mean.
It’s like he’s trying to get to the bottom of a mystery… This marriage of time and eternity, and our relationship to it.
Jesus started it when he was born, stepping into human history, crashing into our existence. I heard a preacher say that Jesus exists outside of time, before time, and yet he was here. On this earth. Therefore, today matters, this Christmas moment matters, and eternity matters.
What I do today has the potential to echo into eternity. Forever, now. (Yes, I’m referring to the Stoic philosophy, that Roman general Maximus quotes in the film Gladiator.)
Unfortunately, around Christmas time, it seems we are often too busy to stop and reflect.
I encourage you not to live so rushed, that you rush yourself out of this life. Yes, live an unhurried life (but don’t forfeit urgency.) Stop and savor. Stop to recognize all the gifts you’ve received over the course of your lifetime. Take a moment and visit the humble and glorious manger scene, in your mind and in your heart. Abide, tarry, linger here. Pause time. Step into eternity.
There is a mysterious connection to Christ’s wonderful birth in Bethlehem and eternity. For all of us.
Forever, NOW.