Greetings!
Christmas 2007 is upon us! Yet, in the homes
of many throughout the world, Christmas
is not a celebration. While many of
those families are not Christians... some
are! In some of the more legalistic homes,
Christmas is a time to separate not only
from the "world" but from other Christians.
Some churches promote a negative view toward
Christmas, pointing out that the date is a
mistake, the decorations are wrong, and the
holiday is blown out of proportion.
For many of us who grew up dissing Santa
Claus, it comes as somewhat of a shock that
the secular world views Santa as a Christian
symbol.
Whhh...at?
That's right. That red-faced, jolly guy who
gives gifts throughout the world stands for
Christianity? In the minds of some, he does.
Sure, there are errors in thinking, and he's
all about being good to get a gift, and he
gets us to spend too much money on trivial
trinkets. But wait a minute. Wouldn't it be
better for secular society to see
Christianity through the filter of Santa
than through the filter of a hum-bug church
that refuses to celebrate the holiday?
Some Christians point to the fact that if we
rearrange the word "Santa" we can get
"Satan"; it's also true that if we rearrange
the word "dog" we can get "God."
Of course the reason for the season is the
coming of the Savior. But frankly, we don't
care on which day he was actually born, just
so we celebrate a day. We don't care if
someone overspends in the name of Christ-mas!
Just so we embrace the word "lavish" as a
description of God's love for the world.
Legalism at this time of year is hauntingly
familiar to how Narnia is described before
the coming of Aslan: Always winter but never
Christmas.
Celebrate the Christ! Even if you have to
wear a red suit.
For more on Santa and Jesus click
here
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