Blakeyblog

This weekend Bobby and I had an open house at our new apartment. Lots of friends stopped by to visit with us and see our new home. I was under the impression that gifts are only brought to a housewarming party rather than an open house, but many of our friends came bearing scented candles, small plants and even gifts for the baby. We made a table full of snack foods and some hot apple cider and for three hours people graced us. It was a wonderful and warming experience.

My younger sister Monica was up for a few days so Bobby and I enjoyed having Friday off and spent time with her shopping and seeing a movie. Bobby and Ty were even able to finish their new project “There’s Been Born” a thoughtful song straight from Luke 2 about Christ in Christmas. You can hear the song by simply following the Godsong Music link in my column on the right.

I haven’t thought much about Christmas yet, in terms of the actual holiday itself. I don’t have any shopping to start running around like crazy to accomplish. I do want to get a few things and will probably do so within the next week so as to avoid the crowds that usually pack out our mall. I mostly order things online so I can do the shopping in my own time, instead of not being able to find my car in the parking garage while I hold arms full of shopping bags. I guess I try to keep things around holidays fairly simple.

One thing I have been thinking about is the statement “Merry Christmas.” Recently someone told me that I shouldn’t say that to people because I can never be sure what their background is or what religion they practice–so I may offend them. I was baffled by this because on every calendar I’ve ever seen the name of the federal holiday is “Christmas.” It doesn’t say “Season Day” or “Holiday”. It says, “Christmas.”

I was encouraged when Bobby shared his lesson yesterday about keeping Christ in Christmas because He is where it began and what it is about anyway. It is not difficult to see that Americans have turned the day into a commercialism fiasco. And I am aware of the roots of the holiday in some of the man made traditions and worldly practices. I’m not referring to Santa, trees, gifts or shopping…I’m referring to the day in which we commemorate the birth of Christ.

Some elements of Bobby’s message really stood out to me. He pointed out that we treat Christmas as this warm and fuzzy holiday now, but when Christ came it was for a reason and there is nothing warm or fuzzy about it. Christ came because we are sinners. Scripture speaks beautifully of Jesus coming as the light of the world. What we often don’t realize is that He came as light because of our darkness. Our world is very dark. People’s hearts are continually longing for selfish ambitions and worldly lusts. We worship family, morality and helping others rather than Christ. It is a sad thing to go to our local mall and see so many people caught up–and in what?–nothing. When we die it will not matter how wonderful our holiday parties were, what gifts we received or gave or if our family was together around the tree. The only thing that will matter is whether the light of Christ saved us from the darkness of sin in our hearts.

Christmas, no matter what it has been morphed into today, is the same reality of Luke 2:14 all those years ago. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” We receive and give gifts that will end, but the gift of God never ends. The good news to all of mankind since the day the events in this verse took place is that though we are lost and fallen, there is a Savior. The Savior is not my hours of community service, having a moral family, trying my hardest or religion. The Savior is Christ the Lord. This is the best news for anyone and there should be no hiding it.

At Christmas we should be careful not to blend with the world in our celebration. On the other hand we don’t want to be so anti-Christmas that we don’t celebrate it at all. The Christian should not be silent. We more than anyone else should be in constant celebration that Christ has come. This is good news of great joy which should be proclaimed at all times. I find that especially these next few weeks when people are in a bustle over it all, this is the time to speak up even more so. We can ask people why they celebrate the way they do or what is it that they are celebrating. I can share why the holiday means so much to me personally. People should not be able to keep us quiet about the beauty and wonder of the gift of salvation that we have received. I hope we will all remember and excitedly share with others that Christmas is not just the beginning of the story or a precious picture of a manger. Christmas is that God became human flesh one day long ago and did so for one purpose: “…to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

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