Being a dyed in the wool idealist, I've had to wrestle with Christmas the last few years. For writing a blog about simplicity I sure can make things complicated. There are basically two sides of the Christmas coin that I've been focused one.
Ideology One
Christmas is a an American tradition rooted in Christianity.
Ideology Two
Christmas is a pagan celebration and we ought to steer clear of it.
Some of my readers may not realize that both of those sides exist, but they do. There are many other facets, of course, and I'm over simplifying for the sake of blogging. My focus in this post is to look at this year and my peace with Christmas.
If I've learned anything over the past 2 years I've learned to rethink those ideologies I try so desperately to attach myself to. I'm learning to read the Bible from the perspective of those who experienced it first hand. I read a great blog post (click here for installment 1, installment 2, and installment 3). It really highlighted the uncertainty of Joseph and Mary. Here is Joseph, a seemingly kind and devoted man, who hears that his wife is pregnant. She also tells him that the Child is a result of the immaculate conception. It is God's Son. Joseph's response? He decides to put her away (hide her and end the betrothal) quietly. I'm not sure if he really believed her or not.
Or take David. War hero. Chosen of God. Adulterer. Failed parent. I can't imagine that at the end of his life he was taking stock and saying "Obviously I will be known as a man after God's own heart." He may have been just a tad bewildered as to how his life got so messed up.
And so it is today that I look over my life and question a lot of the decisions I've made over the years. I wonder if I can really be "on track" with God. He knows what I've done. He knows who I am inside. Even when I uphold the rules of christianity that I learned as a child (read your Bible, pray, don't drink, don't smoke) it is merely a veil to hide who I am on the inside. Knowing that, can God really even find me acceptable in His sight?
Then I remember the birth of His Son. Born to a doubting earthly father. Brought into a world of utter darkness. He lived among us. He became one of us. He did all of that so He could call me His brother. It is then, and only then, that I realize that there is a whole bunch of grace that He has poured on me. And that's the real story behind Christmas.
You already know it's not about the presents. You already know it's not about the tree and Santa, cookies and egg nog. It's not even really about family. It's about Him and His birth. It's about our relationship with Him and how that affects our relationship with others.
So with that said, I've made peace with Christmas. I have good friends who don't celebrate the holiday, but they celebrate Jesus. I have family who go all out for Christmas (think about the Griswolds), but they celebrate Jesus. I can stand with both sets of people and respect them for the decisions they make and celebrate, with them, the birth of Christ. I guess I've simply come to the place where it doesn't seem to matter how you "celebrate" the holiday. It only matters that you celebrate Jesus.
As for me and my family, we have a tree in our house. We play Christmas carols and sing loudly (especially at "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer"...all 7 of us). We don't have Santa stuff in our home and we don't go to see Santa. Right now, as I type this, we are eagerly awaiting the unwrapping of gifts, visits to Grandmas house (before she gets run over), and more food than some third world countries see in a year. And I'm happy. I'm looking forward to celebrating Jesus, my Brother, with my brothers and sisters. I assume they've made their peace with Christmas.
What's your relationship with God like? Now's a good time to talk with Him about it.
I think my favorite part of this post is this:
ReplyDelete"I can't imagine that at the end of his life he was taking stock and saying 'Obviously I will be known as a man after God's own heart.' He may have been just a tad bewildered as to how his life got so messed up."
Good call. It wasn't a pretense of humility that made him say "Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?" He really was astounded that God would bless him so richly.
Indeed, far greater grace than that was given us by the bringing of the Son of God into the world made into the likeness of flesh. How astounding!
I'm in the same place. I made my peace with it sometime between last year (when I didn't want to celebrate it) and this year. We have a tree. We sing the carols. We enjoy the season and eat lots of food with loved ones. We remember the God who chose to be born in the flesh like us, to save us from our fallen estate. What an amazing and loving God, that he would lower himself in that way to elevate us!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the scripture you linked, that Christ is not ashamed to call us his family. Haha I don't even know if I could say the same about myself sometimes if I were him, but he sees us as holy. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. I'm not someone who appreciate the preaching of grace to the exclusion of all else, but I suppose as I get older and see the consistent inconsistencies in myself I realize how much grace was extended to me through the work of salvation and how much more is extended each new day. Seems like maybe I ought to make sure I'm extending that grace as well.
ReplyDeleteYou and your family (your wife, kids and brothers) and Uncle Laur and Aunt V are the best Christians I know. You all set the best examples and I appreciate it and grow and learn so much from you all. I yearn to be the better Christian because of the examples you all set forth. We decorate with the tree, decorations, presents. I used to see "Santa" throughout the years when I was young. But to me it's more the magic of it all than the believing in Santa. I believe in the Bible, God and birth of Jesus, such as you do, because we were raised that way, cousin. But moreso, it's the magic of Christ in Christmas, that I believe, cherish, and know. Every Christmas we have a tradition. Except last year when I was in the hospital during Christmas because I was too out of it because of surgery, we read in the Bible, the story of Jesus' birth before we eat or open presents so that we remember what it is all about.
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