Be Joyful

In many ways our society has killed what Christmas is all about. We make it all about the gift giving, and card sending, and focus on all of the more commercial aspects of the holiday. In fact, for many, the pressure to buy the perfect gift for everyone makes them so miserable, that they wind up hating the whole season. What’s even sadder, is the fact that normally people only buy gifts for each other, or send cards to some people, simply out of a sense of obligation. They don’t want to give the gift, they don’t have the extra money to spend on it, and they aren’t even sure what the person really wants, so they wind up making themselves miserable over it. Gift giving is something you do because you care about the other person and want to make them happy.

The majority of this is our secular society’s fault, but not all of it. We Christians have managed to kill a bit of what the holiday is as well. It was brought up during chapel last week, that the church mostly tends to view Christmas as a birthday party. This is the day that Jesus was born. It’s an important day, but Easter and the crucifixion is the real Christian holiday. We value his death, much more than we value his life. It reminded me of how my neighbors, who live across the street (very plain people) were offended when my mother took a plate of cookies and home made candies over during the first Christmas season that we lived in this house. Their children very promptly informed her that they do not celebrate Christmas, because that keeps you from fully appreciating the more important aspects of our faith. I’m dumbfounded by that reaction to this day. Why wouldn’t you celebrate? Christmas is more than a birthday party. We aren’t just observing the birth of Christ. The fact that He was born shows God’s love for us, just as much as the fact that He died. Our God was willing to leave the Heavenly Kingdom, and join us. He lived among us, to experience what we experience, and feel what we feel. How is that not worthy of celebration?