Last weekend, I was sitting in a waiting room and as I sat there, I started to chat with one of the other patients. He was a delivery man, and he was bemoaning the fact that it was Christmas time. For him, Christmas time is chaotic. Everybody wants their parcels yesterday and he really feels the pressure.
Shopping and people spending like there’s no tomorrow were also discussion points. Then when the conversation shifted that on December 27 we’ll start seeing Hot Cross Buns and Easter Eggs in the supermarket, the whole conversation went up a notch or two!
He then made an incredible statement. “If I had my way, I would combine Christmas and Easter. I’d have one holiday around February or March and we could get both things over and done with in one foul swoop!” The sense that Christmas was nothing more than an irritation for this poor man really unsettled me but helped me to see things from his perspective. As I pondered this encounter later, I recalled something I had recently read in The Old Testament Book of Psalms Chapter 23. It read, “You (meaning God) anoint my head with oil: my cup overflows.”
The commentary I was using to explain this verse in greater detail suggested that to help understand this phrase, one needs to draw on the experiences of a Middle Eastern shepherd and their trials and tribulations of caring for sheep.
Sheep are often troubled by flies. These winged parasites buzz around a sheep’s head and make their life miserable. The Handbook of Bible Times and Customs listed over twenty varieties of flies that can be found in the Middle East –Warble Flies, Deer Flies, Nose Flies and so on. “Sheep are especially troubled by Nose Flies” says one shepherd, “For they buzz about a sheep’s head, attempting to deposit their eggs on the damp mucous membranes of the sheep’s nose.”
So irritating can be the effect that sometimes a sheep will beat its head against a tree or a rock in order to find relief. An alert shepherd, when he sees such signs of distress, goes to the sheep and bathes its head in olive oil. This results in instant relief for the sheep. Gone is the frenzy and restlessness and soon the sheep begins to quietly graze or lie down in peace.
At times I would have to admit that activities around Christmas celebrations can make me feel like I’m under attack from the dreaded Nose Fly! This time of the year is often referred to as the silly season, where we find ourselves running around aimlessly, trying to organise gifts for each other and answering that dreaded question “and what do you want?” Family activities must be planned and crowded shopping centres overwhelm us – it may seem like an irritation rather than a blessing to celebrate Christmas.
How sad that life has come to this. Instead of reflecting on the fact that God sent His Son to Earth and we celebrate His birth and that on the Cross our sins were dealt with forever, it appears that we have come to see these two significant moments in history as irritating as Nose Flies!
How we need to be bathed in the anointing oil of God’s Holy Spirit to relieve us of this in order to see the magnificence of each of these celebrations; to see and appreciate the wonder of Jesus’ birth; to see and appreciate what Jesus has done for each of us on the cross. As we bathe in the soothing oil of the ministry of the Holy Spirit we can once again refocus and realise that in fact we have been given the greatest gift ever in Jesus. It is the gift of God’s Son and His willingness to die for our sins on the cross that surpasses anything found in a shop. How comforting it is to know that when we start to feel a little irritated this Christmas, that God is ready to bring us comfort and is always willing to help us out of this state and soothe us with His perspective that is based in an inexhaustible love.
As we conclude the 2024 school year may I wish you every blessing as you and your families gather to celebrate Jesus’ birth. May you know His protection, His comfort and care over this time of celebration and summer break.