Pastor Chet Kwiat
Each year, it seems Christmas comes around faster, yet my heart fills anew with joy and reverence as the season approaches. Christmas is more than just a time to share gifts and fill our homes with lights, colors, and the aroma of festive meals. Though these traditions delight us, there is a deeper reason we gather. Christmas invites us to remember and celebrate the most profound moment in history—God coming to us in human form, Emmanuel, “God with us.”
For some, this season brings a mixture of joy and sorrow, especially for those who mourn the loss of loved ones. Christmas, which draws families together, can feel bittersweet. Yet, even in our grief, we’re reminded that Christmas is about the presence of a loving God who came to walk among us, to share in our joys and our sorrows, and to bring light to our darkest places.
Many have wondered why we celebrate on Dec. 25, as the Scriptures don’t record an exact date for Christ’s birth. Historically, early Christians didn’t focus on birthdays, but as they embraced the celebration of Jesus’ coming, Dec. 25 emerged, coinciding with a time when many cultures were celebrating the lengthening of days—the return of light. How beautifully symbolic: just as the sun grows stronger, casting out the longer nights, so did the Light of the world arrive to dispel the shadows of our hearts.
The Apostle John described this truth so simply yet profoundly, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Jesus, the eternal Light, came to shatter the darkness of sin and despair. This is the heart of Christmas—the promise that darkness will not prevail, and that love, hope, and peace have come near in the person of Jesus.
The early church began to gather and call this time “Christ’s Mass,” now Christmas. Today, we continue that legacy, joyfully proclaiming the birth of our Savior. And so, I wish you a very Merry Christmas, not just in cheer but in the hope, peace, and love that Christ brings into the world and our lives.
Pastor Chet Kwiat leads worship at Christian Fellowship on Saturdays at 4 p.m. in the Laredo Room of the Ranch House.