The identity crisis of Christmas
The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son. John 1 : 14 (GNB) |
The way that Christmas is perceived and celebrated in our society is changing. The true meaning behind this festival is being obscured, distorted and hidden behind an atmosphere of lies and commercialism.
Santa is being given a far greater stage than the Saviour. Even a certain brand of cola is a more familiar sign of Christmas for many people than the birth of a child in a stable in Bethlehem.
I believe that the identity crisis of Christmas is primary the church's making. For too long churches have quietly ignored the hijacking of this religious festival by the secular world.
Not only that many churches are guilty of peddling these same secular lies and distractions in their own Christmas celebrations. How can we possibly expect people to know the truth if we are also sharing mixed messages of truth and lies.
The true meaning of Christmas lies in the birth of Jesus, God's son to give the hope of a future to every man, woman and child. It may not be as flashy and attractive as the modern interpretation of this festival. The present that Jesus gives may not be as obvious as the ones given by a fat man in a red coat, but they are far more valuable. The setting of a dirty little stable might not be as appealing as Santa's toy filled workshop, Christmas sales or parties but it is certainly more significant.
It is not too late for us to save Christmas from this identity crisis. But in order to do this we ourselves need to separate the fact from the fiction and the necessary from the noise. Have a great Christmas and a great week.
This week's song is Joy to the World by Pentatonix. |
Header image by: Elliott Brown via Flickr