…for we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears… For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. – Corinthians 13: 9,10,12
When I first began thinking about our theme for Advent, “The Hope and Fears of All the Years,” I immediately remembered learning about the Gestalt Principle in Psychology 101. This principle basically says, “the whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Psychologists have studied this concept for more than 100 years.
Looking through this Gestaltic lens, we begin to understand how humans perceive patterns or configurations, not merely individual components. For example, we may see part of an image but our mind “fills in the blanks” so that we perceive how the entire image should look. A great illustration of this occurred in 2020 when we saw everyone in masks; despite not seeing their full face, we could (usually) figure out who the person was by their eyes, hair, and other features.
As we approach this Christmas season, I’m reminded how fragmented the holidays were in 2020. Many of us could not participate in our regular traditions of meals with family, holiday travels, and special services like Christmas Eve. Other years, the holidays may seem like a blur with numerous concerts, galas, family gatherings, and more.
If we do not intentionally pause amid the busyness, we can easily miss the “bigger picture” of the Christmas story – that Jesus has come to bring hope and joy and meaning to each one of us and to the world! All the “parts” of the Christmas season and story – from the lighting of candles and decorating of trees to the nativity and the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth – remind us of the greater “whole” that God has revealed Himself to the world in the person of Jesus. This is the message of Christmas, for we know that “the hopes and fears of all the years” become clear in the perspective of Jesus’ bringing salvation to us all.
Rev. Phil Greenwald, Executive Pastor of Administration
