A Christmas Conspiracy by Lynsey Barry
A miniature tea tin came in my holiday box of Celestial Seasonings tea, a few years ago. The loveliness of the lid’s image struck me: Deep in a wintry forest, a decorated fir tree twinkles under a snow globe’s glass. Woodland animals—beavers, bears, rabbits, deer, foxes, and wolves—draw in close, stilled by wonder. I can hear the quietness of the snowfall around them, see the glow reflected in the creatures’ gazes. Who would know to find this marvel, except those who saw its lights glimmer through branches in the darkness? I don’t know if it’s lovelier to imagine this as a miracle in the real world or as a scene of one happy Christmas in Narnia. Either way, it captures something of the wonder and beauty that Christmas brings to those who celebrate the babe-King in a stable. It envelops the peace we long to know in our world.
At Christmastime, many sing the words of carols and sacred choruses with little grasp of their significance. The truest hope for peace on earth, the peace between God and humankind, was born where few knew to look. In spite of the unidyllic details that certainly encompassed much of the night, maybe the scene turned quiet and surreal as the shepherds gathered in around the manger-cradle. What a thing to imagine: them under the stars when celestial hosts appeared around them in the fields, singing praises to God. What a holy moment: them finding everything as the angel said, and realizing the baby before their eyes, the Promised One, would somehow set all things right. Behold the Lamb of God. Behold. If only we could capture a bit of a moment in a snow globe.
On the back of the tea tin, a quote from essayist Hamilton Wright Mabie reads, “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” This is true! And not just a fleeting feeling of love or a seasonal sense of warmth and happiness rests under evergreen boughs or the lines of the songs.
At Christmastime, the carols proclaim the glory of the Lord, and the lights shine all around us. The hope of the peace we long for echoes through the December nights.
Those familiar with the mystery know where to look among the jumble and tangle of threatening distractions. Right into revolving pain and chaos, God came to heal and to be with us. We don’t just celebrate a picturesque scene or a happy new baby. We celebrate because of the unfolding plan that exploded into motion, whereby everyone can have hope and freedom from sin, be made new, and know the Maker who loves us and wants us.
Knowing or not, resisting or not… everyone is caught up in the conspiracy. The tea tin’s designers may or may not realize their artwork resounds with truths of gospel hope, where peace is realized and God invites us to know Him. May we who know of the mystery delight in the revealed secret. May we join in the conspiracy of loving the world and adorn this season with hope.
Lynsey Barry currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband, Mathieu, and daughter, Elsie. Lynsey is a freelance writer and editor with degrees in English and theology.