I read John Knowles's A Separate Peace at the beginning of this Christmas break and was blown away. I know it's easy to get caught up in liking books that you're supposed to like, but there's an idea that Knowles presents in this book that shook me up. I'll explain:
For those unfamiliar with the story, two boys are in the summer term at a prep school while WWII is going on. The war affects every part of their lives, but both get caught up in the idea that the war doesn't really exist. They both admit that it does and live in the presence of it, but they're too busy focusing on their own lives to focus on it.
Today is Christmas. God does the biggest humbling ever and steps down to be a part of us. The Holy Spirit continues this constant presence, and the Incarnation becomes an eternal thing. And we live in the presence of it.
But I pretend it's not true. It doesn't help me in any way to act like this, and I don't really want to deny it. Still, this fact is the one thing my flesh cries out against so strongly. Maybe rightly so - God's coming to us is unashamedly merciful, and I want justice. But mostly, I just seek out sin somehow. I don't know what the deal is. But Saint Paul knows what I'm talking about.
It doesn't depend on me though. Tidings of comfort and joy can still be sung, and should be sung, and I'm grateful for it. Hopefully, I'll be able to more often live in the reality of it.
Merry Christmas!
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