Lord of the Holidays

Christmas trees; lights; candles; the music; snow; decorations; shopping; family gatherings; presents; all of these are earmarks of the Christmas holidays.  They are important in that they help define the season.  The problem is, they can become the only earmark to which we give any thought.  They can become that which actually defines the season.  We get so caught up in buying presents, shopping and these other things that the true reason for Christmas is put on the back burner, yes even for Christians.  Perhaps we don’t do this intentionally, but it does happen.

Ironically, the very word Christmas means Christ’s birth.  Even when we use the term “Xmas” to describe Christmas, we are not leaving Christ out of Christmas at all.  The Greek letter X is the first letter in the name Christ.  The candles represent the star of Bethlehem that the wise men saw and followed and the idea of Christ as the Light of the world.  The exchange of gifts at Christmas is also representative of the gifts the wise men brought to the Christ Child.  So, it seems that no matter how hard we try, we cannot remove Christ from Christmas.  He is the reason Christmas exists in the first place.  

Someone has said that Christ must be Lord of all, or he will not be Lord at all.  Attempting to leave Christ out of Christmas is like having a birthday celebration with the person having the birthday not present.  He must be Lord of the holidays; our holidays.

When we sing the beloved carols of Christmas like “Joy to the World” or “Silent Night,” let your minds wander back to a lowly barn where there is the smell of animals.  A young girl is in the pangs of labor.  She gives birth to a baby boy and has to lay him in a feeding trough.  Picture her concerned husband.  Not the prettiest sight ever imagined, but this is where Jesus was when the shepherds first saw him.  This is how God made his entrance into our world.  Allow this picture to embed itself in your mind, to bring you back to a more simple way of celebrating.  

There is nothing wrong with trees, lights, candles, music, snow, decorations, presents, or family gatherings, as long as the Baby of Bethlehem is Lord of all of these.

“O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord”  

Thanks be to God.