大象传媒

I've been intrigued this week at the number of houses that still have their Christmas trees or their fairy lights up.听听I know I鈥檓 in Scotland, but surely they can鈥檛 all still be sobering up after their New Year parties鈥� Or did they all just miss the memo about taking stuff down by听12th Night... Maybe they're all part of some weird sect whose entire celebration of Christmas is based on a typo, maybe they got a message saying you should celebrate the 120 days of Christmas. But I guess it鈥檚 not really odd, wanting to keep some brightness in these dark mornings and dark nights, and, hey, it certainly cheers me up as a passing stranger! (I鈥檓 easily impressed by bright shiny objects...) So, I guess I understand wanting to hang on to the light

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One thing I can't understand though, is people who want to hang onto the dark. It amazes me how often we won't let go of things like grudges and resentments and hurts.听听Even though we know they can make us pretty miserable. And, of course, we Christians and many others are very good at telling people they ought to 鈥榝orgive鈥� and 鈥榤ove on鈥� 鈥� and if you鈥檙e really unlucky we might even burst into song, 鈥渓et it go, let it go!鈥� just to add to your misery. But the reason so many folk encourage us to stop harbouring hurts and resentments is because it's actually better for听us. I love the saying, 鈥渉olding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.鈥澨�

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Of course it's not easy! And of course it can take a lot of time to get there. But in the end it's good for听ourmental health it鈥檚 good for our heart, and it鈥檚 good for everybody around us. Now, there is also the cynical approach, 鈥淔orgive your enemies 鈥� nothing annoys them more!鈥澨�听But, no, I reckon it鈥檚 a wholesome thing: if we can get to that place where we choose to lay down our grudges, and choose to pick up some peace and happiness 鈥� well 鈥� it can be striking and noteworthy, and can even cause strangers to wonder 鈥� kinda like a Christmas tree and fairy lights out of season.