Reclaiming Christmas

We’ve got to get Christmas back. Not that it actually went anywhere. It’s just that it’s gotten way out of hand lately as we’ve let all the holiday celebrations overshadow what we’re actually supposed to be celebrating. You probably heard about the Wal-Mart employee who was trampled by shoppers rushing the front door on Black Friday last week. But did you hear about how some of those shoppers then refused to leave that store as it was being closed due to the death? They said they’d been in line for hours and were there to shop, no matter who was killed in the process.

Does anyone else see what’s wrong with this picture? Isn’t it ironic that the holiday that’s supposed to celebrate the birth of our Savior incites such a frenzy in shoppers bent on getting that “perfect” gift that someone ends up dead? When do we, as Christians, step in and say, “We’re sorry, World, but this is not what Christmas is about!”

Then again, it’s easy to point fingers and spout out that Jesus is the reason for the season, meanwhile being offended that someone wished you a “Happy Holidays” instead of a “Merry Christmas.” But how often do you let the thought of gift-purchasing, party-going, and time off from school overwhelm your own sense of awe at the actual meaning of this holiday? When you think about Christmas, where does your mind go?



My mind kind of settles on the decorations, sadly. I was decorating my house for Christmas last night, and as I ate breakfast this morning, I was admiring the sparkliness of it all. I felt like Christmas cheer had finally settled upon me. Then it hit me. As I had been decorating, my primary thoughts had been about how much a friend of mine would love the silver reindeer I’d bought or how disappointed I was that my fireplace didn’t have a mantle that I could hang my stocking from. Hello!? Is that stuff even important? I didn’t even have a NATIVITY SCENE in my apartment to remind myself the real reason I’m even celebrating this particular holiday. I’d once again managed to take something sacred (Christmas, not decorating) and somehow twist it so that it’s just as much about the food, the décor, and the parties as it is about Jesus.

Right then, I prayed and ask that God give me a new sense of awe of Christmas. Of the miracle that He provided. Of the meaning of His Gift. If you too are realizing that you want to shift your focus this Christmas back to the One who started it all, then turn to page 8 of this month’s issue of ec for some ideas on how to do that.

Start now. Don’t let Christmas sneak up on you. And that way, when Christmas afternoon comes and everyone else is complaining of that letdown that occurs once all the gifts have been opened and the anticipation is over, you’ll recognize that Christ’s first coming is not something that you just celebrate while the Christmas decorations are up. It’s a gift you can be grateful for all the time.