2 Corinthians 13:11-14
11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
This is the very end of Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth and he ends it the way he ends most of his letters. He gives a rapid-fire list of instructions and encouragement and a final blessing. His directives here seem tailor-made for the way we hope to act in the Christmas season.
We rejoice at the blessing we have received by Jesus entering the world. We find a way to put aside our differences and focus on the things we agree on and celebrate time together. You want to live in peace and share the love of God with the people around you. Until the people around you cut you off. They take the last parking spot. At the ONE store you really needed to go to. You got too busy and waited until the last minute to do your shopping!
December can feel like such a push and pull. You’re happy, you’re frustrated. You’re excited, you’re anxious. If we’re not careful we bounce around like a pinball between all these emotions until suddenly it’s January. This year can be different if we really try.
In Paul’s words we can aim for restoration. This doesn’t mean you’ll always hit your target; it does mean that you are moving in the right direction. Remember, forgiveness is a gift that you first give to yourself. There are people and situations that do not deserve to be forgiven, but we worship a God of peace who wants to help you let go of things that hurt you.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God be with you.