Thanksgiving and Black Friday have come and gone. We have gathered with family, feasted on
turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, fruit salad and
pecan pie, watched a few football games, played with the kids and enjoyed the
sweet slumber that only tryptophan can provide.
We survived Black Friday and celebrated a few bargains and did our part
to fuel the American economy.
This week we will unpack Christmas decorations. When the children were growing up, we always
celebrated with a live tree. In
Minnesota we climbed aboard a horse-drawn sleigh, bundled against the cold, our
daughter holding a bunny in her lap as a hand-warmer, and personally picked out
a tree from the hillside. We hauled it
home, stood it in the living room, showered it with lights and ornaments. But, a few years ago, we opted for an
artificial tree. It loses something in
the fragrance and the romance of it all but it is easier.
My wife loves Christmas.
She starts watching Hallmark Christmas shows before Thanksgiving. And, once the turkey has surrendered its life
to our gratitude, she decorates for the season.
I have to admit I enjoy seeing the old decorations taking
their place throughout the house. They
are more than plaster, plastic, wood and glue.
They are charged with memories of Christmases past: the snowman knitted
by my wife’s mother, the handmade ornaments when our children were small, the
Nativity scene we bought in Bethlehem, others far too numerous to list.
Metropolitan cities and small towns light up the land with
Christmas lights. Neighborhoods are
transformed. Shopping centers echo the
sounds of silver bells and Christmas carols.
All of our decorations, along with The
Nutcracker, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Miracle
on 34th Street make it a magical time of year. I think God takes pleasure when we enjoy the Christmas
celebrations.
Beneath and behind all our treasured holiday traditions lies
the simple message that changes everything. “God became flesh and dwelt among
us.” We are not disconnected from the
Creator. In Jesus He chose to enter into
our suffering, to show us a better way, to demonstrate His love, forgive our
sins and give us eternal life. When
Jesus was born, everything changed! There is good reason to celebrate!
All of the Christmas busy-ness can muffle the deeper message
of the season. The birth of Jesus was not an escape from the burdens and
realities that we all face. God became
flesh to engage our humanity with all of our foibles, sufferings and sin. He sent His Son to overcome prejudice, pride,
resentment and hate. He conquered the
grave and lifted us to new heights of
hope, joy, love and life.
“But we do see Him who was made for a little while
lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because
of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by
the grace of God He might taste death for everyone,” (Hebrews 2:9).
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