And So, This is Christmas
The celebration is a lot the same, but much different than in the days of my youth. It’s still hard for me to comprehend the magnitude by which things have ramped up. Many people decry commercialism (even secularism), but no one does anything about it. That is if you judge by any observable standard. I suppose it has been ever so, but the perspective of years drives the point. Christmas has changed- at least in the eyes of the population at large.
Gifts are more expensive, but I don’t know that they’re any better. Perhaps, those things are best judged in the context of their times. But the floor is scattered with clothes that will never be worn. Gratitude is a lost art in an age when utilitarianism is forgotten. We already have so much stuff. Still, there are so many that do not have enough. The old-timers used to say, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.” I know.
Some have tried to put the brakes on, but they are not understood and often derided. The current of modernity just carries everything (and everyone) along. These things being true, many people think wistfully of simpler times. It’s just that it’s out of control. We know it, and we don’t know it. I’ve heard that it can take a train as much as a mile to stop, maybe more. We’ve built up a head of steam that will take time to cool.
Seen another way, Christmas in its true meaning has not been and will never be lost. In the midst of everything else, the power of the Christ-child is greater than it has ever been. There is a more prevalent gospel witness today than before, and the faithful will celebrate the reason for the season in gladness and joy. Jesus will never be overcome. Still, we live in a darkening world and a time of great confusion.
Another year is over, and a new one is just beginning. Taken as a whole, it is a daunting task to change the world, but, if we break it up in little pieces, it’s more manageable. If I can change myself, there will be some effect. The meaning and message of Christmas can shine from my life, and I can see it in others. Together, we might have quite an impact. The question is whether our deeds will match our desires.
Christmas did not become what it is today overnight. Change is a process of years. In our time, enemies of Christ even seek to divest this grand holiday of any religious significance at all. Jesus had enemies in His day, too. They didn’t amount to much. Fads fade, but Jesus will live on in the lives of His followers. Our actions will prove to the world that He is real. And so, this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Sterl
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