Yes, we need a little Christmas Right this very minute… For I've grown a little leaner, Grown a little colder, Grown a little sadder, Grown a little older, And I need a little angel Sitting on my shoulder, Need a little Christmas now… For we need a little music, Need a little laughter, Need a little singing Ringing through the rafter, And we need a little snappy "Happy ever after," Need a little Christmas now.

This song is from the 1966 Broadway musical, Mame. The musical begins in the extravagant lifestyle before the 1929 Wall Street crash and then continues into the struggles after 1929. In the Depression, Mame and her family members have “grown a little leaner…a little colder…a little sadder…a little older.” So, Mame calls for some Christmas joy!

In 2019 with the violence repeating itself in random communities in the U.S., turmoil and even possible impeachment in the federal government, a planet “groaning in travail” at the effects of our addiction to fossil fuels, an Internet search that reveals 10 official wars and eight active military conflicts recognized by the U.S., and refugees struggling to find a home after dislocation…we need a little Christmas…now!

For those of us in The United Methodist Church, the uncertainty and anxiety about the impact of the Traditional Plan on clergy and local churches combined with a multiplicity of “plans” for how to be Methodist beyond the General Conference in May as well as a weariness about being stuck fighting with each other over welcoming all people into the life of Christ through the church…well, we need a little Christmas, right this very minute!

Advent is a protest statement to our lagging faith with its themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. Hope isn’t optimism that everything will work out all right. At least I hope not! Because things don’t always work out all right. Hope is more like resilience; the ability to face harsh realities with determination and grace.

Hope has flexibility and is able to adapt to circumstances without getting mired down. Hope requires some improvisation of spirit and tactics in situations that are typically marked by uncertainty. That’s what the Christian faith calls us to – and yet hope doesn’t stand a chance if we’re in isolation, competition, and antagonism with others. Hope comes in the connections we have as people of faith. Hope is rooted in a faith community. 

“Peace on earth, good will toward all” is a Christmas blessing and aspiration. Peace isn’t superficial, willing to overlook our differences in order to get along. Peacemaking is contrary to our cultural inclination to vote others off the island in the “Survivor” mentality, or to say “You are dead to me” to friends who disagree with us. Peacemaking is part of discipleship.

How we are with each other is an expression of our commitment to Christ and the church: “In so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). Joy: “Serve the Lord with gladness,” my devotions reminded me one morning. With all the anxieties and fears within the church as well as the country, serving the Lord with gladness is a stretch some days!

It’s one thing to unintentionally harm another, but too often we harm others intentionally just to be right, to rub their noses in our win and their loss. It makes me sad and weary. But joy is more than “a snappy ‘happy ever after.’” It’s rooted in a deep trust in God; the fruit of that trust is joy in spite of it all. Love of God is the root, and love for each other is the fruit of our faith. No excuses. No exceptions. How can we give an account of our faith when we’re quick to condemn or seek revenge?

Love is something that doesn’t exist in cheap words but in demonstrated action. And then, if our action is off the mark in spite of our best efforts, love is revealed when we’re willing to seek forgiveness and try another way of showing it. It would be easier if there was a little angel on our shoulder telling us how we’re doing. Instead, we need to be in communication with each other lovingly.

“We need a little music…need a little singing, ringing through the rafter.” Hope, peace, joy, and love aren’t just whipped up like figgy pudding. They come through our disciplines of faith, which include, among other practices, singing. 

To all liturgical purists who believe Christmas carols shouldn’t be sung until Christmas, I would encourage you to get everyone singing with gusto throughout the whole season! Christmas carols are really protest songs: protesting against despair (“In the Bleak Midwinter”), conflict and violence (“It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”), sadness (“Joy to the World”), and hatred or even indifference (“Love Came Down at Christmas”).

Let Advent and Christmas ring from the rafters this year! After all, we need a little Christmas now!

~Bishop Sally Dyck