Well, the turkey’s been eaten and the stuffing’s been stuffed down our stomachs. The volcanic mashed potatoes with gravy lava are gone, so are the cranberries and jello. Thanksgiving’s over and now with one holiday down, we all turn our attention to Christmas. I cannot think of a more divisive holiday than Christmas. Thanksgiving is all about gathering with family and giving thanks for the blessings and the sorrows of the year. New Year’s Eve is simply about celebrating the passing the old year and the excitement of the promises that the new year brings. One can celebrate it as quietly or as raucously as one wants.
But… Christmas. The word itself has become pregnant with phantasmagoric images and feelings. Some people love the holiday for the cheer, the peppermints, the music, the stories of Saint Nick and his neverending bag of goodies. Others dread it for it means reminders of sorrow of things long past or reminders of grief of things recent. Yet others fear it since their wallets and budgets can’t take it. Some even outright despise the holiday since it promotes consumerism.
Sheesh, no wonder why so many people have mixed feelings about Christmas!
However, for all of its holiday trappings (both figurative and literal), Christmas is still the best reminder of what we’re looking for. It is not material gain, for those things are ultimately worthless as much as the world’s marketers try to convince us otherwise. It certainly isn’t about the music, the eggnog or the ornamented tree. It’s about an unusual thing that happened about 2,000 years in a freezing, filthy stable in a town in the middle of nowhere.
It’s about that event and the fact that we’re waiting for it to happen again, albeit under completely different circumstances. As the Advent season (and the Christmas shopping season, of course) comes upon us, I’d like to challenge us to look beyond what the world tells us to celebrate and not just focus on the event that gave Christmas its name, but to also look to what’s waiting for us in the future: the Second Coming of that infant born in a manger.
Regardless of how you feel about the holiday, just remember that the story isn’t over yet. It’s still ongoing and, my friends, it is going to end spectacularly. Those who believe in Jesus will get the ultimate gift then: eternal life.
The best thing about this gift? It’s free to give to anyone. Anybody’s wallet would agree with that price. If you know of anyone who needs that gift, consider including them this year on your Christmas list. It’s the most precious gift anyone will ever receive.
AdventChristmasThanksgiving
What Are You Giving This Year?
November 29, 2007
Calvary
Comments Off on What Are You Giving This Year?
Matt
Well, the turkey’s been eaten and the stuffing’s been stuffed down our stomachs. The volcanic mashed potatoes with gravy lava are gone, so are the cranberries and jello. Thanksgiving’s over and now with one holiday down, we all turn our attention to Christmas. I cannot think of a more divisive holiday than Christmas. Thanksgiving is all about gathering with family and giving thanks for the blessings and the sorrows of the year. New Year’s Eve is simply about celebrating the passing the old year and the excitement of the promises that the new year brings. One can celebrate it as quietly or as raucously as one wants.
But… Christmas. The word itself has become pregnant with phantasmagoric images and feelings. Some people love the holiday for the cheer, the peppermints, the music, the stories of Saint Nick and his neverending bag of goodies. Others dread it for it means reminders of sorrow of things long past or reminders of grief of things recent. Yet others fear it since their wallets and budgets can’t take it. Some even outright despise the holiday since it promotes consumerism.
Sheesh, no wonder why so many people have mixed feelings about Christmas!
However, for all of its holiday trappings (both figurative and literal), Christmas is still the best reminder of what we’re looking for. It is not material gain, for those things are ultimately worthless as much as the world’s marketers try to convince us otherwise. It certainly isn’t about the music, the eggnog or the ornamented tree. It’s about an unusual thing that happened about 2,000 years in a freezing, filthy stable in a town in the middle of nowhere.
It’s about that event and the fact that we’re waiting for it to happen again, albeit under completely different circumstances. As the Advent season (and the Christmas shopping season, of course) comes upon us, I’d like to challenge us to look beyond what the world tells us to celebrate and not just focus on the event that gave Christmas its name, but to also look to what’s waiting for us in the future: the Second Coming of that infant born in a manger.
Regardless of how you feel about the holiday, just remember that the story isn’t over yet. It’s still ongoing and, my friends, it is going to end spectacularly. Those who believe in Jesus will get the ultimate gift then: eternal life.
The best thing about this gift? It’s free to give to anyone. Anybody’s wallet would agree with that price. If you know of anyone who needs that gift, consider including them this year on your Christmas list. It’s the most precious gift anyone will ever receive.
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