Show Summary

For most of us, Christmas delivers us everything but the Silent Night we sing about in that iconic carol. Our preparations for celebrating Christmas could rarely be described as heavenly peace. It’s more like earthly chaos as we race about collecting our gifts, visiting family and friends, and attending performances and parties. As we repeat the lines of Silent Night each year, it can spark waves of guilt: We know our lives—and our hearts—are not living up to this Christmas ideal. And that leaves us wondering if we’ve missed some crucial lesson along the way.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson wrap up their holiday mini-series, Lessons & Carols. The first conversation covered the lessons we’ve learned about Christmas meeting the soul’s longing for connection and love. And the second episode turned to the ways we attempt to buy our Christmas joy (for others and even for ourselves). Here in the finale, Erin and Hannah dissect the tension between the peace we sing about and internal chaos we so often experience during Christmas. Can we learn to appreciate the message of Silent Night even when our reality is no match? Is a Silent Night even realistic? Is it possible we have unreasonable expectations for the season that magnify our need for the Prince of Peace?

Listen in for dialogue on questions like these, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

Your Hosts

Erin Straza: Web / Twitter
Hannah Anderson: Web / Twitter

Episode 155 Resources & Links

“Beware the Idol of Busyness at Christmas,” Crossway

“Festive stress: Why the Christmas season can be anything but merry,” The Guardian

Did you enjoy this episode of Persuasion? Give these a listen!

Persuasion 154 | All I Want for Christmas

Persuasion 153 | Blue Christmas

Theme music by Maiden Name. Produced by Jonathan Clauson.

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