By Bil Holton and Cher Holton, Ph.D.
Finding Joy Through Frosty the Snowman - A Meaphysical Interpretation What do an old silk hat, corn cob pipe, button nose, and boots have in common? They all belong to a lump of snow called Frosty, the Snowman.
In the popular press Frosty, the Snowman stands for joy. The joy of living. The joy of laughter. The joy of hearing children play. The joy of spontaneity. The joy of meaningful work. The joy of doing things with the people you love. Frosty, the Snowman symbolizes all of that. He is joy personified.
Most people, when they hear the words, Frosty, the Snowman, break into a smile. A gleam appears in their eyes. Children 3 to 93 identify with Frosty's playfulness and zest for life.
But Frosty represents much, much more.
When the traditional Christmas stories or legends are read. It's either the gospel of Matthew or Luke that are used. In each of these gospels you find a beautifully-told story about the miraculous birth involving both the Divine and the human. The authors of Matthew and Luke also seek to place the birth of Jesus in a particular historical and cultural setting. Jesus is born to poor Jewish parents, but is also presented as a descendant of Israel's greatest king, King David. His birth is given a definite time and place.
But, when you go to the Gospel of John, there is none of that. There's no nativity, no shepherds, no Magi, no star in the sky, no heavenly hosts, not even so much as a Mary and Joseph.
What you get in John's Gospel instead is some rather esoteric sounding language about something called The Word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ..." Several verses later you read, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us ..." Then, not too many more verses after that, Jesus is suddenly baptized and starts out in his ministry. If that were all we had to go on, we might be celebrating Christmas a little differently.
What John is saying is the Word became real, became flesh, became incarnated ... and dwelt among us.
And that's where Frosty comes into play. Jesus, like Frosty, came to life one day, dwelt among us and told us It would be back again one day. The parallel is obvious.
Christmas is an incarnation story. It is the saga of the Incarnating Christ in all of us. It is the account of our unfolding Christhood.
And joyfulness, not struggle, is the message. Running around, dancing around in a silk hat, ball cap, boots, sandals or barefooted is the message. We are here to enjoy this Earth experience ... to spend this incarnation, happily, healthily and prosperously ... to dance and play and create and achieve until we melt away.
Here are three very specific lessons we can learn from Frosty the Snowman, that will bring us joy during this holiday season and far beyond:
1. Release worries about the future and focus on now.
2. Recognize the source: It's not in your hat -- it's in your heart!
3. Reaffirm Joy, no matter what!
And above all else, KNOW that you can never be separated from your good, from God, because you and God are one! And that is cause for JOY!
Drs. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Visit their website at http://www.unityspirituallifecenter.org and sign up to receive a complimentary 4-week e-course entitled 'Overcoming Fear and Living the
Abundant Life You Deserve.
