Christmas 2016

O the pageantry! O the parades! My how the world loves Christmas! It is such a worldwide phenomenon that even non-Christians celebrate the event. Today in the news, an article appeared on CNN.com entitled 'Christmas reborn in Iraqi town freed from ISIS.'

We all love Christmas. The lights, the gifts beneath a Christmas tree, money in the bank. Christmas is the most lucrative of all the holidays, and a yearly boost to business in general. It is encouraged and advertised by business. It is practically shoved down our throats. While suicides do not increase at Christmas, the expectations placed on some is a burden that causes stress, grief, and many family quarrels.

Mainly, however, Christmas is 'the' Christian holiday, and Christians will defend it for many reasons. I will not put forth that one defense of Christmas is 'it is for the kids', that defense is used for Easter and Halloween as well. When Christians defend Christmas, they are in effect defending their faith in Christ.

Christians, however, are to be lumped together with all who celebrate Christmas – whatever the reason or defense may be. For the reveler, it is merely another occasion to revel. To those who party, it is another occasion to party. Those who drink will not dismiss the opportunity to raise a glass with or without friends, as the case may be. The entire package of stringing up lights, erecting pine trees indoors, indulging, imbibing and giving gifts is a spirit shared in common between Christians and non-Christians alike.

Are you a Christian celebrating Christmas? Are you doing that for Christ? Have you taken it upon yourself to honor the son of God, to remember his birthday, with symbols and tokens from a usurped pagan festival? This opinion piece is more a question than an argument or accusation.

Jesus never had a portrait painted or a statue made. His exact date of birth is a matter that even experts may only guess at. In all of his short life on earth, Jesus only asked to be remembered for one thing. That one thing was not his birthday. What Jesus asked to be remembered for may be found in Luke 22:19, “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.”

If Jesus has asked that any particular day or event be remembered, it is the Passover rather than his birthday. The Catholic church would have us remember crackers and wine, but I think that Jesus wanted more than that. I think that rather than have us celebrate worldly tokens and symbols, he wanted us to celebrate our connection to God through the salvation of our spirits. We were saved from the worldly spirit in man and that was accomplished through the sacrifice only Christ could effect.

Christ ransomed our spirits from the world. My question is this – what is your spirit connected to? Is it connected to partying or revelry? Is it connected to pagan practices? Is it connected to commercially procured gifts? Is it anchored in the customs of man rather than the will of God?

God placed his spirit in his son and sent him as a messenger to man. The message sent was the will of a spiritual God. Should we not rather celebrate the redemption of our spirits from the world?