OBSERVE CHAOS
As I get older I feel like something is missing during this time of year. Sometimes I feel so over-obligated to give to everyone it seems to become more of a hassle than a time that brings that feeling and spirit of generosity and giving I wish to well up inside of me. Of course, with limited funds, I decline a lot of giving and settle for only being concerned with my immediate family, though I have many friends and co-workers I wish I could give a little something to let them know I appreciate them. But isn’t something wrong here? Why does something feel off or wrong, uneven or unbalanced?
I know many arguments come around this time of year, many Christians feel this holiday is 'under-attack' by those who would mean us harm and wish to destroy, both religiously and politically, this season - by effectively erasing Christ from our holiday. No longer will we say ‘Merry Christmas’ but ‘Happy Holidays’, no longer is it a ‘Christmas Tree’ but a ‘Holiday Tree’. No longer is he called St. Nicholas but Santa Claus, with no remembrance of his giving being connected to Christ nor religion in any form. But I do not think what we need to worry or fight against are the others, the pluralist or the atheist, who many of us seem to think are in an all-out war against Christmas. I think the real people we need to be concerned about are ourselves as Christians.
SEEK SIMPLICITY
What witness are we giving people by the way we act? How about the amount of stress we bring on others? But even more than our attitudes around this time of year, what have we forgotten? We have messed-up and missed-out on Christ, the babe lying in that manger. We have forgotten the whole true message and story. We get so busy buying things, getting decorations out, getting irritated by holiday arguments, getting family together, and all the while Christ sits in anticipation.
Just as Christ held out the cup to his disciples and broke the bread saying "Remember Me," so God sits and says the same thing to us. God wants us to remember this moment when he broke though time, sent his son in flesh into our plane of existence. God sent Jesus, Immanuel, to be born of a virgin, in a manger, a dear little baby, who was so vulnerable to attack. Just as we all depend on our family, so was Jesus made frail and had to depend, not only on his earthy family, but on his heavenly father.
REMEMBER CHRIST
Let us not forget the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, the one who was worshiped and sought by both wise-man and shepherd, who loved the sinner and called out the hypocrites, who lived and died and rose for us called CHRISTians. Let us not forget the true reason for this season, let us instead become overwhelmed with the love of our Savior who was born in that small town, in that small place; yet God had tremendous plans for that small babe.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,
the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- John 1:14
~ Daniel
