THOUGHTS BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS...

KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS

For the past several years there has been a wide open campaign throughout the United States to “Keep Christ in Christmas”.  This campaign deals with verbal and written comments giving homage to Our Lord Jesus Christ. My question is how far will this homage go?

I’ve seen campaigns on Facebook, videos on YouTube, even billboards along the road; all spouting the importance of the keeping the precise spelling of the holiday. We’ve come up with catchy sayings, besides “Keep Christ in Christmas”, like “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”.

I am hit with a question each time I see these statements, “What about after the season?”  There was a song I heard many years ago on a Children’s Christmas Special called, “Keep Christmas with You all Through the Year”.  I must ask, “If we did keep Christ with us throughout the year and truly were His hands and feet to those around us, would we even need a campaign to remember Jesus at Christmas?”

According to the website,  http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_xmas.htm, “The first recorded use of the word "Christmas" was in 1038 when a book from Saxon England used the words "Cristes Maesse" in it.” The on-line Catholic Encyclopedia site, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm, translates "Cristes Maesse" as the “Mass of Christ”.

Don’t get me wrong, I love wishing people “Merry Christmas”, but I am not insulted if someone wishes me “Happy Holidays”! For me it is not only the words that count but the actions.

This year, I want to remember the words of Pastor Mark Slaughter, “It’s Not Your Birthday!” Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Our Redeemer! But Christ’s birth was just the beginning of an incredible journey that continues today in each believer. This year I want to remember, I AM HIS HANDS AND FEET AND MOUTH to all those around me; I want to cause a ripple effect.  If I truly strive to be Christ’s embodiment to others than perhaps more people would see Christ in the Holidays and not need to be reminded that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season!”