MY THOUGHTS ON CHRISTMAS

 

     This year it is my privilege to be able to share my thoughts on Christmas with my many friends in St. Albert.  This year I thought I would focus on why Christmas means so much to me.

      Christmas is a time for sharing the message of peace on earth and good will to all men.  Ebenezzer Scrooge said, “it was the one time of year when men open up their shut up hearts and show real love for their fellow man.”  When the angel told the shepherds that he brought them tiding of great joy which is for all people, that angel was correct. 

Christmas is about a babe in a manger who came to give man a second chance at true life. 

     Jesus Christ is the reason for the season.  I am alarmed how quickly society is trying to change the meaning of the holiday.  In Canada for example we have politicians who are wanting to call Christmas a winter festival, all in the name of political correctness.

You take Jesus Christ of Christmas and you have lost all meaning to the whole reason we celebrate it. 

     Santa Claus who many now revere as the symbol of Christmas was in reality a Christian bishop who back in the 4^th century used the Christmas season to give gifts and share love through acts of kindness .  His mission was to help to people of his generation understand that Christmas was a celebration of God’s gift of salvation and gifts of love and service are a practical expression of this thought.

     Candy canes which have become another symbol of Christmas were the invention of a candy maker who wanted to remind people of the meaning of Christmas.  The white in the candy cane means the purity of God and the red means the blood of Jesus Christ which was later shed on the cross at His death. 

      Christmas is most than tinsel, trees, presents, and turkey dinners.  I love the one scene from Charlie Brown’s Christmas where after being totally discouraged over all the commercialism of Christmas.  Charlie yells, “does any one know what Christmas is really about?”  That is when Linus Van Pelt does his famous stage scene where he quotes the book of Luke, talking about the birth of Jesus Christ.  Then he comes to Charlie Brown and says, “That is what Christmas is all about.” 

     When you take Christ out of Christmas all you have is a mess.  A mess of secular ideas, mixed together with a bunch of sentimentality or nostalgia.  Christ is the reason for the season.  What is amazing is for the first time in American history, the White House is instead of calling them Christmas trees they now are called holiday trees.  Political correctness is such a sham.  For the sake of clarity just call them a tree with lights, but enough of the diatribe.  Christmas should be a time for the celebration of the greatest person who ever lived.  Jesus changed everything by coming.  He gave us salvation and life.  That in itself is a great reason to enjoy this season. 

     Christmas to the Steel family is very special because it is a time for us to share our love for Christ in a practical way to members of our family and others.  We always invite people over to share our Christmas dinner and evening with us.  Christmas to us is a time for giving and sharing.  Sharing ourselves and sharing what we are and have.  So this Christmas season share the most precious thing you have.  Share yourself , it is the greatest gift you have.