Facing the 'Longest Night'
By Neal Christie
The disparity between how we feel and how we ought to feel, leads to confusion where we were shaped by memories of holidays marked by endings: fractured relationships and unresolved conflicts, family and friends who have passed on, situations where we did not feel safe or secure, or seasons when we faced severe economic insecurity. For many, we may not know how to ask for support and how build our own resilience.
How might we respond as we face a "blue Christmas?"
Consider what you are grateful for. Where have you received wisdom that can be a resource during the holidays? Can these gratitudes help reframe what has been lost and imagine new beginnings? Where is Christ leading us to gratitude?
Set reasonable expectations. What can you expect from yourself and others during the Christmas holidays?
Rest and movement. Our bodies tell us what they need and they tell a story. How can movement, rest, and healthy activity help us build resiliency in anxious times? Are we taking time for ourselves to be with God?
Connect With Others. We may feel incredibly disconnected from the people we love or the people we are expected to relate with. Can we connect with those who give us the greatest meaning for Christmas and the New Year?
Here are some helpful resources as we navigate how to be healthy and whole this Christmas and New Year’s celebrations:
- Blue Christmas: A Service of Reflection for the Longest Night
- Blue Christmas Longest Night Worship With Those who Mourn
- Podcast Blue Christmas 2021 Marsh Chapel, Boston University
- When It Is Not the Most Wonderous Time
- Watch Night and Vesper and Vigil Service
Access Helpline Washington, DC with help to manage feelings of hopelessness, anger, grief, or stress. Call: 1-888-793-4357
Access Maryland Crisis Hotline - Call: 1-800-422-0009
Access West Virginia Emotional Hotline--Call 1-877-HELP304, text 877-435-7304