What happened to Christmas?

When you drive thru the towns and villages dotting the landscape around our area, it’s easy to see that the thrust of the commercial establishments is to get you to purchase their goods as your gifts for Christmas. It’s almost as if the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth has been reduced to about the same significance as “May Day” or “Labor Day” or some other secular holiday when we’re enticed to shop because of the holiday sales to mark the occasion. We shouldn’t be surprised. Especially when we see attempts to take any reference to Christianity out of Christmas… You figure that one out! I don’t mean to be disrespectful in any way, but that’s about like taking any reference to cattle out of beef… it’s impossible! You can’t have one without the other. We are very blessed to live in a section of the country where Christians are still able to express their beliefs without too much danger. But there is no doubt the world is changing. We are living in a post-Christian time. I read this past week about a man named Richard Ganulin of Ohio who is suing Christmas. His case involves removing all symbols of religion from public display. I guess that means he wants no more manger scenes, no more stars, no more wisemen, no more Christmas trees even, to be shown in public... how ridiculous is that?!!
But you know what folks… I’m not sure the holiday we call Christmas resembles Christ much anymore. It has become all about greed, covetousness, jealousy, envy, commercialism and receiving instead of giving. And even when we give, we do so with an expectation that we’ll receive something in return that's at least equal to what we give. Is that really what Jesus’ birth was all about? I wish for just one year that we would represent the attitude of Christ when it comes to Christmas. Our world would be forever changed. If we tried to work together to bless those who are less fortunate than ourselves with something more than a new yoyo, can you imagine the difference we would see? Maybe we would experience a little less fighting over that last Video Game on the shelf. If we could focus on how to bless others instead of what we can get out of Christmas, don’t you think our attitudes would change? I do. I’m not one for taking Christ out of Christmas. I still think that’s a ridiculous idea. But the truth is, I think we did that a long time ago… We’re just now getting around to taking His name out.
This year let’s do something to change that. Let’s resolve to celebrate Christmas by being more Christ-like. Why not select a family in a less fortunate situation than your own family and bless them with a special Christmas this year? Don’t buy a bunch of cheap stuff for them… write poems, take them a turkey, cook a meal for them. Why not get a group together and go sing carols at a nursery home? Or what about going to the homeless shelter and serving food? we can all do something that demonstrates the unconditional love of Christ. One way you can do that is to make a generous donation to a ministry or mission like Vision Nicaragua. You have a great opportunity to do that this month - December 11th, WMIT, 106.9 is devoting their mission emphasis to Vision Nicaragua. Why not join the effort by supporting this worthy cause?
What a difference we could make if we refused to get caught up in the commercialism of the culture and return to the vintage principles of Christianity… What a wonderful change we would see in this world if we all could remember and live by what the Bible says? “It is better to give than it is to receive…” So what are you giving this year?

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