I saw Christmas today. It was at my 4-year-old daughter's school Christmas party. While the adults were setting up the plates and food, the children played musical chairs, a fiercely competitive elimination game. One of the girls' little sister, who had just turned three, joined the game, though she was much smaller than the rest of the children. After a few rounds of following her sister around the circle, the inevitable happened. The music stopped, the children scrambled, and there was one empty chair left with just the two sisters still standing. Without hesitation, the older sister put her hands on her little sister's shoulders, guided her to the empty chair, and left the game with a smile on her face.
Would I so readily give up a place of safety and privilege for a brother or sister? Not just offer up the seat, but guide my sister to it, make sure that she takes her place, and leave the game smiling?
I consider God's promised reversal of power anticipated in Mary's song in Luke, and I hear the music of Christmas as it was meant to be. I like to think that my heart could someday be as pure as that little girl's. In the meantime, come, Lord Jesus, have mercy on us as we give it another shot tomorrow.
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