I once saw an ad on television that featured a woman frantically trying to finish her Christmas preparations. On her very long shopping list was written, “To get: Christ. pres.”
Undoubtedly the abbreviation referred to “Christmas presents.” But what first popped into my thought when I saw it was “Christ presence.” And what came to me next was, “We don’t have to ‘get’ that—Christ, Truth, is always present.”
Engrossed in my own holiday to-do list at the time, I was so grateful for this reminder. At this time of year it can be tempting to stress about what we think we need to do to make Christmas “happen.” But Christ isn’t “coming”; Christ is already here, has always been and always will be. We don’t prepare for the Christ-idea by purchasing some specific item or making a particular plan for the holiday. We receive this idea into our consciousness with a receptive heart, and we can do so right here and now.
