Have a Very Merry Covid Christmas
by Heather McAnear
When I think back to New Year’s Eve 2019, it feels like another lifetime. Had you shown me a picture of people shopping while wearing masks and face shields, I might have assumed it was a scene from a sci-fi movie. Mention spending months in quarantine, worshipping via live stream, navigating Zoom meetings and Easter at home, and I might have assumed the world was coming to an end. Seriously, thinking of all that we’ve faced in 2020 feels a bit unreal…yet here we are. We made it to Advent, the Christmas season! It’s safe to say it will look different from Christmases past, but I’m here to cheer for all the ways we can embrace the season (masks and all).
Every holiday since Valentine’s Day has been different this year. We’ve celebrated drive-by birthday parties, a backyard graduation, Zoom weddings and Easter at home. Although I truly missed the “bigness” of corporate worship, and a weekend with extended family, there was something very special about the simplicity of Easter weekend. My thoughts turned to the very first Easter Sunday: a couple of women running to the tomb, a small group of followers huddled in a room. This was the beginning of Christianity as we know it, and our small, simple Easter connected me to those early believers. Now, seven months later, Christmas has me contemplating in the same way.
I think about Mary. The news of Jesus first literally lived within one woman. Finally, Joseph understood, and as they made their way to Bethlehem, not knowing Christmas morning was upon them, they celebrated the birth of their King, just two of them in a small stable. What a profound and precious morning, with Mary treasuring every memory in her heart. A group of shepherds were next to celebrate “Christmas,” then wise men. Slowly this great day trickled through the generations of our faith, and today it’s one of our favorite seasons of the year.
Yet if we strip away all the aspects of the Christmas season that we have come to know and love, we find simplicity at the very center. At Christmas we celebrate the humble birth of our Savior, and in that beautiful moment our lives are forever changed! Whether in a small or large room, in a crowd or all alone, meditating on the birth of Jesus is precious and profound, and it makes my heart tender. I will always love the entire Christmas season, but I pray I never lose sight of why all the things on my “Advent calendar” exist. When I start to get nostalgic or sad for all that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed this year, may I stop and reflect on all that 2020 has changed in me.
This year, as we prepare for our “Covid Christmas,” here’s a call to embrace the true meaning, to find joy and peace in the simple things and to spread the love of Jesus however we can. Like Mary, may we simply treasure the Christ-child in our hearts. And may you have a very, merry (Covid) Christmas!
Here are some Advent activities that require no masks or crowds:
· Read a daily Advent study alone, with your family or small group. (I love She/He Reads Truth, and there are several other plans on YouVersion.)
· Read the Nativity story from Luke 2 in a different translation each week. If you have small children, have them act it out.
· Play Christmas music all month long and truly listen to the beautiful words.
· Thoughtfully buy gifts for those on your list from companies that give back.
· Plan activities throughout the month that you can do from home (puzzles, read a book aloud together, have popcorn and hot cocoa by the fire, play board games, etc.)
· Bake treats and deliver to a neighbor’s porch.
· Sing Christmas carols to someone who could use some cheer and stay on porch 6’ away.
· If it is safe, have a small gathering (wear masks or social distance) at home or on your porch if you have an outdoor fireplace.
· Shop for a family in need through Angels Foster OKC, Care Share or another organization.
· Watch family home movies or traditional Christmas movies.
· Make a craft together (create a gingerbread house, ornament, wreath, tree skirt or cross-stitch…check out Pinterest for ideas and instructions.)
· With the increased need for social distancing, think of the people alone this Christmas and reach out in creative ways: make or write a card, FaceTime or create a Zoom room, send a personal “Merry Christmas” video or visit from the yard or front porch.
· Sit in front of your lit Christmas tree, warm drink in hand and meditate on the gift of Jesus.
Author Bio
Heather McAnear is a wife, mom, author and speaker with a passion for sharing God's truth to help people use it for God's glory. She also hosts the Uniquely Beautiful Stories podcast on iTunes. She loves teaching young married couples with her husband, homeschooling their three children, traveling the world, enjoying good chocolate and long conversations in coffee shops. CRBC has been her church home for two decades.