So This Is Christmas

The white snow, the holly, mistletoe and plaster nativity. Christmas trees and Christmas cake. Lots of presents and eggnog! Yay! Sleigh bells jingle, a ring jing jingle away.  Such warmth and love! Chestnuts by the fire, as we sing with ones we know and love, cozy and friendly. So this is Christmas!

Wait… how did we get from “sell all you have and distribute it to the poor” to ‘buy as much stuff as you can and give it to your friends and family and anyone else you like’?
There is a harsh reality we must deal with as the ekklesia of God: the world has distorted and claimed our traditions, especially that of celebrating the birth of the King, into their own… and we have, after mild rebukes, given in, saying, “Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

Jesus was quite clear, love not this world, nor the things of it, seek ye first the Kingdom of heaven! If we want to celebrate the birth of Emmanuel, God with us, then let us do so by obeying His commands: Love thy neighbor!
Oddly, we aren’t even told to celebrate the birth of Christ on a specific day (perhaps God wants us to celebrate that everyday) but we are told to proclaim the Kingdom and pray for workers of the harvest, support the widow and orphan, help the blind, feed the hungry and clothe the naked. These are the things God asks of us. These are gifts of God; love, mercy and justice for the oppressed. For Christmas, let us give the same gift.

You may offer up sacrifices to God this year by way of goats as well. Not on stone altars, but through WorldVision.org. One can donate goats, chickens, sheep, ducks, etc. out of the gift catalog, or sponsor a child, donate to their education or support girls who have been exploited in the sex trade. If you are bent on spending money to honor God, this is a good way to do it. Your local charity works as well. However you do show your appreciation for the Gift of Grace through Christ the King, the gifts of mercy and love in their limitless forms of expression, remain the only gifts that matter.

As my aunt always says, “For Christmas, I give you my love. If you don’t like it, you can return it.”
BTW, there is a great site called Buy Nothing Christmas (or click the poster above for the link) that is worth more than just a perusal. Enjoy and Rejoice!