inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf

inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf
get healthing in your inbox with the morning checkup and weekender newsletter!
home / 世界杯决赛2022

christmas as an antidote for pandemic stress

by: john van sloten as we continue to struggle with the...

by john van sloten

dec 24 2021
read time 3 minute read
join the conversation
pastor john van sloten at marda loop church in southwest calgary. jim wells/postmedia
by: john van sloten
as we continue to struggle with the trauma of this pandemic, christmas reminds us of a peaceful presence.

trauma expert dr. bessel van der kolk tells a counterintuitive story of how british children fared in response to the horrors of the second world war. those sent to the (relatively safe) countryside suffered more post-traumatic stress than those who stayed in the (regularly bombed) cities. the reason? those in the city had their parents with them.

according to van der kolk, a person’s relational context is everything when it comes to avoiding long-term traumatization: “bad stuff happens to people. but if someone is there for you, to run the show when you cannot do it yourself, it doesn’t become a trauma.”
so, here we are on the cusp of our second pandemic christmas. we’ve been bombarded with bad covid news for 21 months, and we’re exhausted. now facing the uncertainty of omicron, it’s hard to even muster the energy to be fearful. will this go on for years? are we strong enough to handle that?

we’ve been strong enough so far, in part because this pandemic (again counterintuitively) has strengthened

many of our relational attachments. in a time of severe social constraint (mask wearing, physical distancing, and limited gathering) many of us have grown a greater capacity to relate to those we are able to be with. this pandemic has led us to see, and connect with, our loved ones, children and neighbours with new eyes and hearts.
powered by
canadian centre for caregiving excellence

advertisement

what an amazing gift this has been.
post-traumatic growth experts note that when individuals work through their trauma — in the context of supportive relationships — they actually become bigger people (more mature, empathetic, thoughtful, hopeful and humble). priorities also change, with a renewed focus on the important things in life like gratitude, purpose and meaning.
many who work through trauma also become more spiritually attuned — which brings us back to christmas.
at its core, the story of the nativity is all about god choosing to be with us.
christians believe that, through the birth of christ, god took on the fullness of the human condition — all the pain, suffering and hell we all go through. this means that jesus knew what it was like to endure the stress and anxiety of life — what it felt like to have people turn on you and have your world crash in on you. jesus knew the weight of long-suffering exhaustion. and he also experienced the yearning for more — for peace, contentment and freedom to be restored.
this is what christmas is. to be with us, god became one of us. god entered history in an inexplicable way so that he could be with us in our suffering.
this is why christmas has been celebrated for 2000 years.
powered by
obesity matters

advertisement

the fullness of god came and lived among us. the one who spoke the universe into being spoke to us — with real words, parables and promises.
“come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and i will give you rest.” — matthew 11:28
“i will not leave you as orphans…” — john 14:18
“i am with you always…” — matthew 28:20
so, if the presence of mortal parents in the middle of a world war can mitigate the long-term effects of trauma in children, imagine what the presence of god, in the middle of this pandemic war, can bring to each of us now.
this is the promise of christmas!
and if you personally know the grief of losing someone (to covid or otherwise) this year, know that your suffering is not lost on god.
if this pandemic has exacerbated your loneliness, know that the god who made you sees you.
if you’re suffering mentally — losing your mind, crippled by anxiety, unable to carry this on your own, with no more margin in your life — know that you are not alone. . . not this christmas.
it’s an incredible story — the birth of christ.
and it means everything.
god loved us so much, and saw our need so clearly, that he came to be with us.
and surely his “with-ness” is enough in this pandemic time.
this is the message of christmas.

advertisement

god is with you.
john van sloten is a pastor at marda loop church. this past month the church has been exploring the intersection of pandemic stress and the incarnation. you can watch these messages on the church’s youtube page.

comments

postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. we ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. we have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. visit our community guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

you may also like
frustrated woman sits in a hospital corridor, the room is light and clean
blood cancer treatment becomes first to benefit from canada's drug agency fast-track program
teen girl holding a selection of pills
raising awareness for prescription drug misuse in teens and adults and the importance of naloxone kits
doctor vaccinating a senior woman. virus protection. covid-2019.
why new rsv vaccine recommendations are essential for seniors and long-term care facilities
overhead flat lay of a doctor's stethoscope with the canadian flag against a blue background.
which provinces and territories spend the most on healthcare in canada?
male doctor explaining young lady results of mammogram, breast cancer awareness
study shows no significant difference in mortality rates among common breast cancer treatments
you may also like
frustrated woman sits in a hospital corridor, the room is light and clean
blood cancer treatment becomes first to benefit from canada's drug agency fast-track program
teen girl holding a selection of pills
raising awareness for prescription drug misuse in teens and adults and the importance of naloxone kits
doctor vaccinating a senior woman. virus protection. covid-2019.
why new rsv vaccine recommendations are essential for seniors and long-term care facilities
overhead flat lay of a doctor's stethoscope with the canadian flag against a blue background.
which provinces and territories spend the most on healthcare in canada?
you may also like
frustrated woman sits in a hospital corridor, the room is light and clean
blood cancer treatment becomes first to benefit from canada's drug agency fast-track program
teen girl holding a selection of pills
raising awareness for prescription drug misuse in teens and adults and the importance of naloxone kits