Wednesday
Dec242003
Wednesday, December 24, 2003 at 5:06AM
Christmas
While a seminary student in New Orleans, I wrote a piece about Christmas. This is now 23 years old which is how old I was when I wrote it. But this post is not about me. It is about the meaning of Christmas and the significance of the holiday. On this Christmas Eve let us remember why we celebrate in the first place. Merry Christmas.
Christmas.
Jesus and Santa Claus.
Wise men and fools.
A team of harnessed reindeer and a multitude of singing angels.
In essence, we celebrate the holiday with at least two expression:
Religious and Secular.
Christmas is a time of merriment and joy.
It is a time for peace, for benevolence, for a sort of justice.
We celebrate the birth of a baby who became a man,
And in turn became the savior of all people.
He magnified the message which was first proclaimed in a garden.
GOD LOVES MEN AND HE WANTS TO SHARE IN THEIR LIVES!
We eat candies and cookie s and again taste the bread of life.
We drink punch and champagne as we again drink the covenant wine.
We reflect over the past year and we look toward the one coming.
At the same time we reaffirm our commitment to our Lord.
We give presents and we thank God for the One He gave us.
May we some day unwrap the gift entirely and fully see its light.
And as we learn to use it, may we give it back to the giver
in a way that praises him.
Until the next time
John Strain