Disclaimer: Should I sound here like Dickens’ Scrooge, let me say, I truly love all things Christmas: the decorating, the shopping, the gifting, the singing, the eating, the get togethers, and more. PD
The story of Christmas has all but been eclipsed in our Western culture. Santa, elves, reindeer (don’t forget Rudolf!), sleighs, milk & cookies, candy canes, chimneys and snow-topped roofs appear to be the real elements comprising ‘the story.’ A newborn baby, Bethlehem, a hay-strewn manger, prophetic words, shepherds, angels, a special star, are all relegated to churches and private lawns (where they haven’t been outlawed). One blow-up lawn ornament shows Santa kneeling at the manger, a bizarre juxtaposition indeed of the two tellings.
In the commercial overthrow there has been great success in convincing us of the muchness of our needs to live a happy and fulfilled life. The quiet and humble is losing the race to hustle and bustle, maxed out credit cards, and the stress of deadlines. Celebration and worship and adoration are forgotten under the wrapping paper and exhaustion and post-party letdown. Meanwhile, the four themes of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, are submerged in velvety croonings of a white Christmas, the pealing of silver bells, and the twinkling of colored lights.
The Bible story of Christmas is about God’s Gift and gifts to a war-torn world: one of which is peace, to benefit all mankind. But it is an odd choice of gift in time of war. Rather than being a ‘weapon’ for killing people and bombing cities and countries, peace is to be used to knock down strongholds of human reasoning, to destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God, and to capture rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey. 2 Corinthians 10. It would appear the major world problem is in the corrupted mind of fallen man and all the subsequent tragedies stem from there.
We, the Ambassadors of peace, can choose to bring God’s peace to every person, every circumstance, every conversation, recognizing each person’s value in the eyes of God, and acting in a way that strengthens and encourages them for the time they are in our presence. Yes, it’s a struggle. Yes, we sometimes fail. Jesus spoke of this, expected it, and, as the Prince of Peace, bequeathed his own eternal, unfailing, peace to us – and promised to be with us to the very end of the age! Merry Christmas, y’all! PD
