Readings and thoughts on Christmas 2015

Part 1. 

"How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments." - Benjamin Franklin

I, for one, have had a hard time keeping to the Commandments. I understand we must try to keep close to the Word. I have not done my best. As the years have went by I've observed that tradition gets old and people get used to the cyclic pattern of the Holidays. How quickly we forget after Christmas what the reason of celebrating all meant in the first place. A non-believer? Ok, just remember what you love and why you celebrated what that meant to you. Why only keep this joyful attitude for a season? How quickly we forget.

Part 2.

“Three things go by the name of Christmas. One is a religious festival... The second…is a popular holiday, an occasion for merry-making and hospitality… But the third thing called Christmas is unfortunately everyone’s business. I mean of course the commercial racket. The interchange of presents was a very small ingredient... but the idea that not only all friends but even all acquaintances should give one another presents, or at least send one another cards, is quite modern and has been forced upon us by the shopkeepers." - C.S. Lewis

I know some people are wealthy and can afford anything they wish. I have recognized some people are not wealthy but like to pretend they can afford many things. I understand the poor outweigh the rich and many of these poor made and supplied our ‘gifts.’ I would like to think what we all buy during the Holidays does well to support these poorer individuals. True or not, I believe our work is shown through our gift giving.

Now regarding what C.S. Lewis wrote on his 3 descriptions of Christmas. If you wish to know more about these I would suggest reading God in The Dock. I have chosen the ending of the 3rd description to be most aware of. This is because I believe we have been programmed to 'buy' things because we 'love' people. I understand we as humans want to show affection, kindness, and that we care. I believe we have become skewed (more like how society has skewed us) in how and what showing 'love' actually means. This can be argued. I stopped buying into the 'buying into' the Holidays many years ago. Part 3 explains more.

Part 3.

"For the great and powerful of this world, there are only two places in which their courage fails them, of which they are afraid deep down in their souls, from which they shy away. These are the manger and the cross of Jesus Christ. No powerful person dares to approach the manger, and this even includes King Herod." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

           

            Maybe Bonhoeffer was describing the great and powerful people that run the world. The people that make the world turn. The persons that finance and try to control what we do, what we buy, and even try to tell us how to think or feel. Maybe he was talking about you because you do believe that you are great and powerful. Don’t you? Here the great and powerful can be both you and them. What is their hope, what is yours? What will be their judgment, what will be yours? I cannot tell you. All I can do is lead you to the Love in the manger and to the Love of the cross.

Part 4. 

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." - James 1:17

Merry Christmas.

End.