A Transcendent Vision for Christmas

Transcendence is defined as “existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level,” all of which sounds pretty good to me in the depths of the Wisconsin winter, where the gray days can seem “normal” to a fault, and where the “physical” of the deep-freeze reality often consists of physical pains, fatigue or illnesses such as colds, flus and sinus problems.

December has always been a mixed-bag of a month for me personally. On the one hand it signifies the joy and light of the Christmas season. There are Christmas cookies to savor; there is seasonal decorating to be done around the house; there are merry gatherings with family; and there are the many important ways in which this time of year points a person to a deeper and more grounded spiritual focus.

But on the other hand—right alongside the Christmas lights and the light of a Savior’s birth—there is darkness. At least in my area of the world this darkness can overwhelm in a very literal sense. The sun sets very early in December in Wisconsin (by about 4:30 p.m.), and the cloud cover in the sky is persistent. The days are frigid and short; the roads are slick, and the trees are bare.

The high activity and easy joy of summer—and even the crisp air and emotional reflection of autumn—can seem like distant memories as a person is shoveling snow and dealing with dry eyes, cracked skin and a precipitous drop in vitamin D levels. Fatigue can rise, and a person’s mood can drop.

These are all literal difficulties of the winter season in a cold-weather state such as Wisconsin.  

Then, in a metaphorical sense, the darkness of recollection is there for me as well. The winter season reminds me, at times, of prescription medication withdrawal. It was December 2012 after all when I first came off Paxil, and January a little more than a year later when I came off the Xanax (all after more than a dozen years of using both).

I remember how those winters of withdrawal were especially dark and lonely, filled with pains, depression, dread, and feelings of disconnection. Back then I was scared, and looking for some light and hope.

Maybe you find yourself in a similar place now, or you have at times in the past. But be assured there is hope. Hope for healing, hope for a better future, and the largest and most persistent hope, which is that we can find in God and which we commemorate on Christmas.

Today, to celebrate Christmas, we will focus on that hope that is found in God. I always tell people in coaching, focus on the “two hopes.” The hope for that physiological healing of body and mind, but also the spiritual hope for personal redemption and a greater eternal reality that is found in God.

If these two hopes are a part of each weeks’ focus, then you will be able to stay on track, no matter the difficulties.

The hope for healing is something I obviously talk about over and over in these posts, but today on Christmas the focus ought to be on a deeper sort of healing. Per my Christian faith, I can focus on the birth of Jesus as bringing a healing light into the world—one that is able to remedy the sorts of darkness that are so present in the human experience. The darkness of disappointment, shame, fear, and struggle.

Yes, there is great beauty in this world, and the hope for beautiful adventures and experiences in the future is a part of what will keep you moving forward in a healing process.

But let’s be honest. This life can be terribly difficult as well, for everyone. It can be especially dark and difficult within the doldrums of withdrawal, but even outside of that experience there is pain and loss and suffering.

It is difficult to live in a world that requires so much money for basics.

It is a struggle to find a person’s calling and feel fulfilled on a regular basis.

It is painful when we suffer rejection or humiliation at the hands of others, perhaps even at the hands of family or friends.

Stress never seems to go away.

It hurts to feel the shame and guilt of disappointing ourselves—not following through on goals or treating others poorly because we are hurting ourselves.

And there is nothing worse than seeing loved ones ill or losing them.

These are but a few of the difficulties of living in a fallen world. But the hope of Christmas is that our existence will once again be restored to something much more beautiful and joyful that comes with no side-effects, difficult surprises or termination notices.

This promise is famously talked about in the following verses.

John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

In 1 Corinthians 15:51 Paul writes: “But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed.”

Revelation 21:4 says: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

In John 14:2 Jesus says: “In my Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

These verses all speak of—all PROMISE—a greater reality, one that if focused upon allows us to endure and transcend the difficult seasons of life and the heart-wrenching aspects of the human experience.

Eventually, the human experience won’t be quite so human anymore. It will be Divine, and eternal.

The struggles which we have become so accustomed to in this world—both inside ourselves and out in society at large—will no longer be the order of the day.

The light that is God’s power and love will extinguish all darkness, forever, and that thought gives great hope to us all this Christmas season, no matter what we are going through.

So focus on these truths and promises from God this holiday season:

The truth that you were created out of love by Him.

The truth that His love and power covers all of your failings and fears.

The promise that He will never leave or abandon you.

The promise that Jesus died for our redemption and then went away to prepare a place for us in the land of never-ending mansions.

Stay encouraged this holiday season. Remember the two hopes.

Acts 2:28 (which is paraphrasing Psalm 16:11) says: “You have shown me the way of life, and you will give me wonderful joy in your presence.”

At times the world seems like nothing but difficulty and deterioration, but God gives us a path of restoration and life. He cares for your mind and body and will lovingly move you forward.

Envision your healing, and ask God to bless the process. Ask Him to give you strength as you walk through any difficulties.

And as you endure those difficulties, remember to focus on the greater reality to which Christmas points us: The “new human experience,” the one that is promised to us over and over again in the Bible.

Focus on this Divine promise, and allow that focus to give you a daily perspective that is fortified by hope and enhanced by transcendence.

God’s blessings to you all this holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Michael