You Just Can’t Take the Christ out of Christmas
December 18, 2003
By Rev.
Todd Crofford
Sr. Pastor
Laurel Wesleyan Church
I heard a great story a while back about some parents who took their kids
downtown to do some window shopping at Christmas. After gazing at decorative
display after display that highlighted Frosty, Rudolph, Jack Frost and the like,
they came across one beautiful window with a nativity scene. After looking for a
moment, the wife turned to the husband and said in disgust, “Do Christians have
to butt in on every holiday?”
I laughed because for some, they are almost capable of navigating the entire
Christmas season without pondering the first half of the word Christmas.
However, any even slightly inquisitive observer of the symbols and traditions of
Christmas find that it all points to Jesus.
Take for example Santa Claus himself, a character that came directly from St.
Nicholas, a devout Christian bishop. Born in Asia Minor in the fourth century,
his great concern and generosity for the poor became legendary. Fifteen-hundred
years later the poem “The Arrival of Saint Nicholas” (now known as “The Night
Before Christmas”) completed the transformation of this saint into today’s Santa
Claus.
Or have you enjoyed a Candy Cane lately? If you did you can thank a choir
director in Germany in 1670 who formed simple white candy into the form of a
crook to remind children of the good shepherd and to keep their attention during
worship service. The red stripes were added hundreds of years later by a
confectioner who wanted us to remember the stripes across Jesus’ back and the
blood that brought us forgiveness.
Christmas trees are traced back over a thousand years and find much of their
root in the actions of St. Boniface in Germany who opposed the pagan worship of
an Oak tree by cutting it down. The fir tree that grew in its place gained
special significance to those around. Martin Luther was one of the first to
bring the trees inside.
And who can forget those “silver bells” ringing on every street corner? Inspired
by love for the Christ of Christmas, faithful Salvation Army volunteers raise
money that will fund year-round help for the needy.
Space and time doesn’t allow me to mention the more obvious decorations with
Christian significance such as the star, angels, and the Advent wreath. It’s
just not possible to take the Christ out of Christmas.
But then again, if you take a moment to consider it, it really is not possible
to take Christ out of any day of the year. The wonderful meaning and
significance of the Christmas story is that God has come to be with us not just
at holidays, but every moment of the year. Jesus didn’t arrive in Bethlehem like
some conquering King passing by a newly acquired territory just to show off his
glory. Rather, he came and understood personally what it meant to be human,
because the miracle of Christmas, what we call the Incarnation, was that he
indeed did become fully human.
Jesus’ final promise before he returned to heaven was that his Spirit would not
leave us alone, but would be with us every day until the last day of eternity.
So this Christmas, celebrate something that’s really worth getting excited
about. Instead of trying to ignore Christ this Christmas, welcome Christ every
other day of the year.
The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of Site One
Networks, Inc, the congregation of
the Laurel Wesleyan Church or the Wesleyan Church International. You may respond
to the author directly by E-mailing laurelwesleyan@siteone.net
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