Christmas is upon us here in South Central Iowa and for many people, the Christmas Spirit can be embraced in a variety of ways.

For some, the holiday season may mean shopping for gifts in the month of November, baking a bunch of goodies, enjoying family time, putting up the coveted tree at home, caroling, putting a few dollars in the red kettle, watching favorite holiday flicks, sending out a card to family and friends, and looking at lights.

However, for some Christmas might not be filled with the holiday spirit. Some may be overcome with grief from the loss of a loved one, going through a divorce, dealing with health issues, battling addiction or homelessness, struggling financially, and are just trying to navigate through life this time of year. 

The gospel in the Bible tells the story of a young virgin woman named Mary who made a  journey with her husband Joseph to a town called Bethlehem for a census and where she would give birth to a savior. Her conditions to give birth to the one known as the Messiah were less than ideal, as the baby was born in a stable which many Bible scholars would describe as a cave. This birth of her son named Jesus is called the Christmas story and would be the start of Christianity as we know it. Pastor Bruce Rietveld at Riverside Church in Knoxville says it is always important to remember this story throughout the business of the holiday season.

 

“To me the whole Christmas story just relates around the word love and the love God has for us. That is something we can share with others. Jesus says I didn’t come for the healthy I came for the sick and so we try and do that here in our lives at Riverside too. To reach out to those who are struggling and maybe addicted because God loves them too.”

For some, this story may be very familiar and one heard every year and for some it may not be as familiar or even believed. These days sometimes community is all someone has, whether they have embraced the Christmas spirit this year or not. Here in small town Iowa, some may cherish an unwavering sense of community, which for Rietveld and many others, is what Christmas spirit is about.