It’s easy to look in any direction today and be discouraged. Washington is a sewer of power hungry, Godless folks and seems to get worse not better. A society once rooted in the strength of the family is now bending under the weight of political correctness, self-validation and an unprecedented lack of accountability at any level. From the deli counter at the market to the Walmart parking lot, people are just less friendly and far more disrespectful to one another. There even seem to be less Christmas lights this Christmas, and many, with the exception of the few extravaganza displays meant for viral internet fame are carelessly thrown about like so much laundry on a clothesline. Traffic is a hot bed of curses and potential violence around every turn, while “Black Friday” has replaced midnight mass on most folk’s holiday must do list. And the mere mention of Merry Christmas can draw a look of contempt from co-workers whose lives revolve around the next frivolous offense claim. So how are we to celebrate the birth of the one sent to save us from our sin? How do we pause and remember “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to mankind.”?
Well I can tell how I choose to honor the events in Bethlehem so long ago. It starts with a Biblical reading of Matthew and Luke. Understanding the story of Christ’s birth is paramount to a heart in the right place this time of year. Secondly, I start early. Right around Thanksgiving I begin conditioning my mind and heart to the spirit of giving as opposed to receiving, trying my level best to leave behind the self-centered attitudes of the year past. And third, and this may sound simplistic and a bit corny, but I watch two movies regularly throughout the month of December, “The Nativity” and Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol”, (preferably the new Disney version). One production tells of a “gift” given unto us by a father who wants us to love one another as he loves us, and the other tells of how our hearts can become hardened to that gift and must sometimes be jolted back to the truth of Christmas. It’s all about keeping that message in my head as it helps me to stave off human nature and my desire to lash out at the idiot who nearly ran me off the road yesterday. 😉
Now I would tell you, but I know you already know, it’s just a little deeper than that. Truth be told, my heart is awash with the hope of His word and the promise of salvation He delivered and died for. You see, for this Christian, Christ’s birth overshadows all of the angst of this life and is the beginning of a journey that did not end on Calvary. It is my faith in the Biblical record of that journey which is fixed in my heart and mind and carries me through the darkness. Regrettably though, in so much as we may try and spread “joy to the world” during the Christmas season, ultimately it will be up to people to find the message of Christmas in their own hearts.
Please listen to the attached song and find in the words, my message to all of you this Christmas. “God bless us, every one”…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YoLKoEAJdM
“He is for all mankind…”
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