Who would have known that one of the most profound Christmas teaching experiences I’ve ever had would come at the hands of a struggling family of strangers in a country that barely celebrates Christmas?
Because I knew I would be alone on Christmas, I had previously made plans with another LDS guy from Korea - who is also by himself this Christmas - to go out and find something interesting to do on Christmas Eve. After making our plans, he was invited to the home of an LDS family and asked them if I could tag along. When he unexpectedly called to invite me, he simply said “you should know the mom died a few months ago.”
On a sub-freezing Shanghai evening I arrived at the home of Jeff Olsen, a 34 year old father of four – 3 little girls and a little boy, ages 18 months to 8 years old. In addition to Jeff’s kids, his parents-in-law and sister-in-law had come to China to help him through the family’s first Christmas without mom. After a welcomed meal of pot roast with all the fixings, I was privileged to be one of the wise men in the family’s re-enactment of the Nativity.
Jeff’s three year old son and 18 month old daughter were shepherds, he and 8 year old Emma were Joseph and Mary respectively, 5 year old Rebekah was the visiting Angel announcing Christ’s birth, and Grandpa was a wiseman along with me and our Korean friend Jay Park. Grandma and Sister-in-law Kia were the announcers. Jay’s (no not me, the OTHER Jay) Chinese girlfriend Celesse was the audience.
Ornate Chinese silk robes adorned the wisemen. Scarves replaced the standard towels as turbans for the wooly thick sweatered shepherds. The angel entered in a silky long white nightgown and Joseph and Mary were each in standard pajama robes. (Toy) Baby Jesus was lovingly swaddled in an expandable bamboo dish drying rack.
It wasn’t the story they told that got to me, it was the realization that here was a family personally experiencing the truths BEHIND the story – the reality of the resurrection and how it plays in our lives.
Just several months ago, Jeff’s wife, and the rest of the family’s mom, sister and daughter, had been at home one normal evening, readying her children for bed. As she lovingly brushed her 8 year old daughter’s hair, she slumped to the floor dead, from some as-yet unexplained heart problem. Imagine the situation: you’re in another country far from home with a family of 4 all under the age of 8. Your spouse has just died unexpectedly and inexplicably. You have minimal support other than your small group of friends at church. Just getting family over from the states requires visas, expensive tickets, and at least 30 hours on a good day… Yet Jeff and his kids made it through. Furthermore, despite heartache and confusion, here I was in the home of this little family, hearing messages of faith in God, hope for the future and trust that everything will work out.
The miracle on this night was in fact a re-enactment – but it wasn’t in the play. It was in the ACTUAL re-enactment of how the love of our Savior can strengthen the weak, comfort the weary, and give hope to those for whom hope would otherwise be lost. Most importantly, as personally attested by Jeff, it was a reaffirmation that through Christ’s resurrection each of our spirits WILL live on and we will each have the joys of associating again after we pass through this short season.
Perhaps with more deeply felt sincerity than I have ever experienced, let me wish each of you a Merry Christmas – and may you gain some slight increase in your understanding of, and appreciation for the Christ whose birth we celebrate.
Love to all.
Jay
No comments:
Post a Comment