Before we leave the Christmas behind for another year, here’s a little Christmas retrospective. A summary of thoughts I’ve pondered during the last month or so. Thoughts focused on the Christmas Season, but in a broader sense the topic is lasting and I woudl suggest central to our everyday lives.

What comes to mind when you consider the Christmas Season? Here is just a sampling of the nouns of Christmas:

Of all the words and feelings that come to my heart and mind during the Christmas I believe they can all be encapsulated in a single syllable:

Joy

Joy was at the center of the angelic message shared with humble shepherds announcing the birth of the Savior of the world:

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

– Luke 2:10-14

Christmas Joy is expressed and felt in many forms. Dallin H. Oaks once described three levels of Christmas. I think these appropriately describe levels of joy as increasing in depth and “enduringness”:

• Level One – Santa Claus: There is unquestionable happiness and joy found in the sights, sounds and aromas of the Holiday Season. Christmas livens our every sense. Brightly lit decorations, Christmas carols, feasts, good company, and giving and receiving of gifts all foster a spirit of love and happiness.

• Level Two – The Nativity: As joyful as we find the spirit of Saint Nicolaus, there is a deeper, more lasting joy and peace that comes when we focus on the origin of our celebration. The coming into the world of Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God in the flesh is represented by the simple scene of a newborn laid in a humble manger. The nativity is a symbol of eternal hope, peace, and joy.

• Level Three – The Adult and Living Christ: The most mature level of Christmas joy is found in who the babe of the nativity became, the life he led, the mission he fulfilled, and his influence in our lives today. Christ’s teachings help us understand how to access this deepest, most enduring sense of Joy:

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

– John 15:11