Christmas in a broken world

Author J.R.R. Tolkien’s depiction of life in a fallen world resonates deeply. Though sin has taken a severe toll on God’s creation, He still extends His grace in many ways.

There may be no time in our world when grace and grief mingle as thoroughly or contrast as starkly as during the Advent season, when Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth while remembering His death.

In the following profiles, The Stand reveals that the hope of the Incarnation is not diminished by difficulty – whether on the mission field, in prisons and jails, in rehabilitation facilities, or during war.

Christmas on the mission field

Christmas can bring both joy and heartache for missionaries. While it provides many opportunities to share the story of Jesus with interested locals, being in an unfamiliar culture away from loved ones can intensify feelings of isolation.

Missionary Mark Gwartney first served in South Korea, where he met his wife, Amy. After serving there for over two years, they moved to Singapore for another two-and-a-half years. Now, they work at Good Shepherd’s Fold in Uganda (gsfuganda.com) with their three children. They have lived in the East Central African nation for 17 years, building a life far from their extended families.

Gwartney said Christmas in Singapore was commercialized, materialistic, and secular, much like in America, so when the Gwartney family moved to Uganda, the slower life felt refreshing – but it also highlighted how far they were from home.

“Even though it is different, we all love it because it is simple,” Gwartney said. “We work in a children’s home, and at Christmas we have a special meal and give gifts to the kids. It’s just a much simpler pace of life, free of commercialism and distractions.”

While evangelizing Muslims is illegal in Singapore, it is allowed in Uganda. Gwartney said he shared the gospel with a local Muslim man by inviting him to attend a Christmas church service.

“He sat and listened,” Gwartney recalled. “He has not yet given his life to Christ, but we have an ongoing friendship. To be able to share that message during Christmas is a beautiful thing.”

However, despite the gospel opportunities, living in a different country and culture still has its challenges, especially during the holidays.

“It is not easy, being apart from family,” Gwartney admitted. “It sinks in a little bit more when our families get together for Christmas back in the States, and we’re the only ones not there.”

During the Christmas season, Gwartney urges Christians at home to remember the missionaries they support by sending messages, cards, or even emails. Small reminders that they are not forgotten go a long way in bridging the distance.

“One of the most meaningful things to us is the people who still send that little Christmas card, that family photo collage, whatever form it takes,” he said. “We laugh that the mail takes a long time – we might receive those at Valentine’s Day instead of Christmas – but they mean more to us than you might expect.”

Christmas behind bars

Incarceration is a word that does not evoke “tidings of comfort and joy.” So, how is the hope of Christmas expressed within the walls of a prison?

Prisoners for Christ (PFC), headquartered in Woodinville, Washington, is a ministry with a mission “to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to inmates in jails, prisons, and juvenile institutions around the world.” (See The Stand, 7/24.)

This ministry is a living example of Isaiah 61:1:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted: He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.

Representatives of PFC (prisonersforchrist.org) explained to The Stand that Christmas behind bars can look very different from one facility to another, and it can also vary within each institution.

Inmates may be allowed to celebrate Christmas in several ways, including decorating their personal spaces or common areas, participating in a traditional holiday meal, or receiving gifts of socks and hygiene products from outside groups. Some inmates register their children for Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree (prison
fellowship.org), which works through local churches to provide gifts for the children from their incarcerated parents. Additionally, some facilities may offer a special time for worship or a Christmas message from a local sponsor.

PFC staffers agreed that what inmates long for most during Christmas is a sense of connection. One chaplain mentioned that their greatest desire is “the presence of people who care.” Another pointed out that inmates need “the assurance that they are loved and not forgotten.”

Such feelings of loneliness may amplify for inmates during the Christmas season. Still, as a PFC representative noted, holidays and other significant happenings in the outside world can cause those on the inside to “pause and reflect [and] maybe even repent. A wayward lamb hears the thunder roll just the same as the sheepfold.”

Christmas in rehab

God’s House of Hope (ghohnettleton.com) is a six-to-eight-month discipleship program for individuals struggling with substance abuse or emotional instability. The program spreads Christmas cheer by transforming its in-house facilities into festive, family-oriented celebrations.

“The Christmas season is a time when many of our clients struggle, so we counsel them extra during those times, dealing with being away from family on the holidays,” Jennifer Speed told The Stand. Speed is assistant to Amy Shook Coyle, executive director and co-founder of God’s House of Hope.

As a faith-based organization, God’s House of Hope receives support from communities across Mississippi and Alabama to fulfill the Christmas wishes of its residents. Each patient receives three personalized gifts placed under a Christmas tree, and local churches voluntarily prepare breakfast on Christmas morning.

“And so, on Christmas morning, they have a family. For our staff and the people who are here, we’re here 24/7. It is more like a family that way, and so we get to spend the holidays with them,” Speed added.

Serving residents ages 18 to 80 who come from all over the country, God’s House of Hope proclaims Jesus as the answer to every hurting heart. Celebrating the Savior’s birth reminds patients and staff of the incredible gift of the Incarnation, that Jesus put on flesh to walk among us.

Speed said that, especially at Christmas, the ministry needs financial support as well as prayers for the people they serve.

“It’s really good when we have people in the community praying for us, praying that people will donate the things that we need, praying that God will touch people’s hearts and that they’ll be brought to salvation, because really that’s what it’s all about,” Speed said. “Because if we can point them to a relationship with Jesus, then disciple them in how to live a godly life, then they have a better chance [of being successful].”

Christmas during war

“Christmas was the hardest part of being over there [overseas] because your memories would all be back with your folks and you couldn’t touch them,” the late retired Lt. Col. Winston Roche said of his time fighting in World War I. “You couldn’t do a thing about it. We were
so helpless.”

Roche joined the U.S. Army at just 17 years old and was soon sent to France as a combat engineer, where he spent much of his 22-month deployment engaged in the trenches.

Realizing the brutality of WWI trench warfare, Roche’s comment regarding Christmas being “the hardest part of being over there” speaks to the emotional and psychological toll of being separated from family during the holiday season.

Roche’s experience of spending Christmas at war is not uncommon for military personnel serving their respective countries.

In fact, Roche’s comments were captured in a documentary titled Christmas at War: Heartwarming and Heartbreaking Moments, produced by the History Channel. The documentary sheds light on the various ways troops cope with battle and the separation of military deployments during the Christmas season.

Soldiers serving overseas, whether on the battlefield or in non-combat situations, must find ways to cope with missing out on precious traditions such as putting up a Christmas tree, decorating the house as a family, attending gatherings and church services, and exchanging gifts.

While missing such special moments may prove difficult for the deployed member, the families left on the homefront face their own unique challenges.

Although they are not in immediate danger, the spouses at home experience separation along with the added challenge of trying to keep a sense of normalcy. They must strive to make the holidays joyous while often explaining to young children the reason one parent is not there to celebrate the birth of Christ with the family.

Non-military families in war zones are often overlooked and are just as vulnerable to the effects of conflict, caught in the midst of a war they may not even support. Amid war’s chaos, civilians often lose their homes, properties, businesses, and even their lives, while combatants wreak havoc on their surroundings. As a result, the joy of Christmas can become overshadowed by devastation.

Despite the difficulties and challenges war presents, those involved still have reason to celebrate the birth of the Savior.

Mary and Joseph certainly had their share of obstacles to overcome.

Despite the arduous journey to Bethlehem, being away from home, friends, and family, as well as the unsuitable accommodations for giving birth, that first Christmas remained a celebration of God’s goodness.

Not only did they face the arduous journey to Bethlehem, being away from home and family, and the unsuitable accommodations, they also bore the weight of bringing the Messiah into a hostile world. Nevertheless, that first Christmas remained a celebration of God’s goodness.