I just saw where a friend said her dreams of a white Christmas had just been shot down by our weather issues…mid 40’s and raining. She said it felt like spring.

and that’s funny to me, because this may be what the first Christmas felt like…

we all know that Jesus wasn’t really born on December 25th in the year 1 A.D. (anno domini, not after death)
in reality, Jesus was probably born sometime in april, and about 3-6 years earlier than our fantastically inaccurate gregorian calendar indicates.

we know about how the observance began with combating pagan solstice holidays…sending truth and light into the darkest part of the year. and that’s very poetic, and nice. i have no qualms with our observance dates.

but what gets me, is how people who already know these things get all bent out of shape when the lady at the wendy’s drive through doesn’t specifically tell them “merry Christmas.” they see it as an affront to their faith and person. they have wandered from the realm of faithful observance to silliness and self-imposed legalism.

if i get my frosty and chicken sandwich, and the person at the window takes the time to look me in the eye and we exchange a pleasantry, then i think they’ve done a very nice job.

i don’t observe kwanzaa, and while i enjoy the sentiment behind hanukkah, i still don’t observe it either. but i don’t expect people to be offended when i don’t ever wish them a happy or merry whatever-iday. i’m celebrating Christmas, and if they want to celebrate it with me, then fantastic. but if they’re an atheist, i’d rather they didn’t misuse our observance as a consumerist bent toward greater debt and greed in our country.

i’d rather they leave Christmas alone until they understand what the gift of Christ means, and what He came for…and I hold no grudge against them in the meantime. it makes me sad to know that people disregard the greatest gift of love humanity ever received as a faerie tale. they give more credence to the story of a long deceased bishop sneaking into their home to leave gifts for their sleeping children. and that is deeply wounding and unfortunate.

i want to try my hardest to celebrate Christmas as it should be, in Spirit and in Truth. celebration done as an act of worship, and gratitude. gifts can stay on the shelf as far as i’m concerned. trees can stay in their boxes (or in the earth) and tinsel can stay wherever tinsel likes to hang out.

Christmas isn’t about forcing people to utter a phrase or we will blackmail them with our unspent dollars. Christmas isn’t abut packages, boxes or bags. Christmas, it seems, means a little bit more.

Come, Lord Jesus, quickly.
We have turned our eyes and hearts from your love to the cold embrace of man made things, that can only satisfy carnal desires.
forgive our wanton disregard for Your gift.
open our hearts to Your message and Kingdom life, and close them to consumerism and the gods of wall street.
open our eyes, gracious Lord. let us see, for Your sake and for Your glory.

Amen.