December 2024
Here we are, wrapping up another year. As we prepare for the Christmas season, we are reminded of the warmth, joy, and nostalgia that come with celebrating alongside family and friends. Yet, for many, this season can bring an entirely different experience. Beneath the holiday lights and cheerful greetings, there is often hidden pain, loneliness, and fear. It does not matter if it is the demographic we serve at TRM or if we are walking in the produce section at the grocery store – people are hurting all around us. If we’re being perfectly honest, as you read this, you might be facing some hurt yourself. No matter what it is you are going through, please know this—at TRM, we are here for you.
What a way to begin a Christmas newsletter, right? But if there were no hurting, where would we see the purpose behind Christ’s birth? This month, we’ll take a deeper look into the incredible significance of Christ’s coming. Born of a virgin, fully God and fully man, He came to live a sinless life, to later die for our sins, and to conquer death once and for all.
We can lead our lives with empathy and intentionality on our own, but without the deep desire and calling that Jesus places in our lives, we might miss the mark. What we mean by this is that God intended the Son to walk this earth to have a full understanding of humanity. Jesus was born to experience human trials – the joy and laughter in being around friends and family, the grief in losing a loved one, the pain of rejection, and so much more. By Jesus being born into our world, He was fully God and fully man, and fully had a human soul.
To quote John of Damascus in his work On the Orthodox Faith,
He [Jesus] assumed all the natural and blameless passions of man. This is because He assumed the whole man and everything that is his – except sin, including hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain, the tears, destruction, the shrinking from death, the fear, the agony from which came the sweating and drops of blood…
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Jesus did not just have a human body; He also had a human soul. When we say that the Son had a soul, we are saying that He felt the full spectrum of human emotions. The soul is what makes the body more than just a corpse – it is the spark, the life source that makes us truly alive. Without a soul, there would be no liveliness. Jesus spent time here, with us so that He could face the things we face. Feel the pain we feel. Grieve the loss we grieve. In other words, Jesus understands what each and every single one of us are going through.
This holiday season, as we celebrate Christ’s arrival, we’re invited to ponder the depth of His name—Immanuel, God with us. Yes, He came to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7, but consider the weight of what He would be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Each name sheds new light on what He has done for us, revealing the incredible breadth of His love and purpose. In the anticipation of His coming, and now that He is here, there is truly a dawn of redeeming grace. Redeeming grace that comes with the loneliness of spending the first Christmas without a spouse, parent, or another loved one. Redeeming grace that comes to deafen the lie that we might not matter to anyone or to anything. Redeeming grace that brings hope to us when we feel so hopeless.
This year, we have witnessed addictions broken, trauma healed, and lives transformed. While we know we cannot help everyone, we are committed to doing our best, pouring everything we have into the lives that are entrusted to us. Why? Because no matter what any of us are facing, the arrival of Christ is our hope and we will care for them all. We believe our assurance is that God truly understands our struggles and meets us right where we are. This season, may we carry with us the truth of Immanuel—God with us—who came not only to save but also to walk with us through the highs and lows, the joy and the pain. So, as we celebrate the dawn of redeeming grace, let’s remember that this gift is for everyone we encounter, whether at TRM or in our daily lives. Christ’s love and presence are here to lift burdens, restore hope, and remind each of us that we are never alone.
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Merry Christmas! †