Christmas Rant

With Thanksgiving out of the way, now it’s time for Christmas and New Year. This time of the year is one of my favorite parts of the entire year despite it being rather cold here in the great state of Tennessee. But despite the cold weather, this is a great time of the year. Unfortunately, many of the ideas of Christmas have really been forgotten by many people and it’s now a day about spending a lot of money on people who, sadly, many of the buyers do not like or care to be around,

This is something that most people can relate with. There is nothing wrong with wanting to buy gifts for people which is one of the reasons why we celebrate the holiday. No, that’s not to say that the sole purpose of the day is to give all you have for people who you don’t like or who don’t like you but rather, it’s truly about giving of yourself but giving of yourself does not always mean that you spend money. Sometimes, the best thing that you can do for someone else is to give of your time and make them know that you’re there for them.

Most of us know the story of how Christmas came to be. The birth of Christ was learned and the three wise men sought out to find the new born Lord and to do this, they followed the star in the air. Many people have the idea that the wise men visited Christ that night but this is not true. Remember, these men did not have vehicles or planes to travel but had horses to travel by or they walked on feet. Therefore, the wise men arrived later which is why we are told that the men visited Christ in a house rather than a stable: “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).

My point for this article is not to gripe about a certain tradition or misunderstanding but rather, to explain how a day that I love has been hijacked and changed a great deal. Yes, there are people who point out that Christmas is a secular day and when you add in the different traditions that we have over the last so many years, it’s easy to see it this way and there are those people who point out that Christ was not born in the winter time or December as we celebrate the day. This is probably true and there is a lot of research that says He was born in the springtime but regardless, because we do not have an official birth certificate, we don’t know so putting aside a certain day to honor the birth of our Savior is not pagan nor is it secular: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

Honestly, Christ would rather a person celebrate Christmas day and not spend any money or give out any gifts and remember why we celebrate the day than to give out a lot of gifts and spend a lot of money and not have a clue why we celebrate Christmas. The next time someone tells you that a Christian should not celebrate this day, smile at them at point out that the reason for the season is Christ and as Christians, we are to have a spirit of giving. It may be fair to point out that you celebrating the day is not the problem but rather, they’re the problem. Rather than being a Grinch and pointing out the problems of others and/or the troubles you’re facing, be a blessing and give as Christ did: ” Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]” (Colossians 2:16).