That time of year

Silhouetted hawks stand sentinel gazing at sugar cane fields below. Sugarcane trucks go whizzing up and down the River Road. Night begins earlier with sunlight dwindling around 4:30 pm. Cold fronts bring frost blankets that settle on rooftops and lawns. It is late fall in my part of the world, St James Parish in southeast Louisiana. Winter is just a few weeks away. Christmas is almost here, too.

A part of Christmas for folks in my area is a ritual that has been around for decades. The ritual and family tradition of building bonfires on the levee along the River Road brings young and old together. Weaved into each bonfire structure are sacred family stories of shared time working together. The task of sawing, chopping, hauling and building is a labor of love for family and friends. This custom is culminated on Christmas Eve when all bonfires are lit at 7PM. The levee is outlined by fires equally spaced for several miles. The same family and friends who worked so hard constructing the bonfires gather around the fires, share gumbo and welcome visiting relatives and friends.

Reflecting on this custom, I see God in the middle of all of these gatherings. I see God strengthening relationships when family and friends gather to work and to celebrate this Christmas bonfire tradition.

May God and God’s son, Jesus be at the center of your Christmas gathering.
Merry Christmas!