What is the reason for this season? We know what we celebrate— and who we celebrate. But why do we need to celebrate? Why do we need to sing the same songs over and over again every year during the month of December? Why do we insist on keeping the same old traditions, visiting with the same people, and eating the same food? Why do we continue to read passages of Scripture that we are so familiar with, as if we are going to discover something new this year?

Well, I can’t answer any of those questions for sure, but I will say this: I can always use a reminder of how God’s love broke into this world through the birth of His Son. Because even when I know that, and grasp it as truth, I know all too well that I’m still prone to forget it or take it for granted later on. 

And maybe that’s why we need this season. Maybe we need to surround ourselves with people we love— people God has placed in our lives so that we can experience His love. Maybe we need to keep coming back to those familiar songs, those familiar scriptures, and revisiting those familiar memories; because even though His love is eternal, we are forgetful.

Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season, but we need this season over and over again… so that we can continue to recall, reflect, and remember God’s love for us, and how the love came down on Christmas.