Sanitizing the Christmas Story

by: Adam Navis

The Christmas story contains so many nice parts. There are angels and shepherds, wise men and their gifts, a baby and a promise. Over time we have added even more nice things to our Christmas celebrations: stockings hanging from the mantel, singing carols, ringing bells and lighting trees, cookies and candy canes and presents galore. So we might prefer to gloss over this part of the Christmas story, traditionally called, “The Slaughter of the Infants.”

Still, it is an important part of the way Christ comes into the world. Not only does this foreshadow Christ’s own death-in-innocence, but it also speaks to us today. Is there anything more horrible than the abduction and murder of children? Just as Christ entered the world during a time of, “weeping and loud lamentation” so too does Christ enter into the pain of our lives.

The gospel is not an easy balm that denies the pain of life. Christ knows the depths of our pain and touches us where we hurt the most, at that place where we too, “refuse to be comforted, because they are no more.”