Christmas 365 Days a Year
What is it that makes the Christmas season stand so brilliantly against the otherwise drab background of the calendar year? For believers, the true meaning of Christmas revolving around Jesus birth certainly is the main thing- for them. But in our world today, increasingly there are people who wish to divorce the original intent of Christmas from present-day reality. Even for these, Christmas is a special time. There is a secular Christmas and a sacred Christmas. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference. Why is Christmas special to the secular at all?
The commercial aspect of Christmas ramps up yearly. That in itself makes Christmas a special time- for Walmart. If you listen, however, you will frequently hear people wishing for simpler times. Some of the most potent Christmas memories have to do with events that cost little if anything. Honestly, it is heart-breaking to see the amount of waste at Christmas. I believe it is dishonoring to people and the season. I’m not alone in this sentiment, and it’s not only the rest of the oldies that are there with me. We could do something about that- if we would.
Maybe the specialness of Christmas is found in down-time. Everybody likes a vacation…right? We are addicted to leisure. School children are all in for this reason. Then, we could say that gatherings, parties and family functions are the earmarks of Christmas. Traveling and renewed acquaintance have great meaning for many people. All of these things add to the tapestry of Christmas, but none of them sum the great reason that the masses are so greatly affected in the most wonderful time of the year. And these qualities are found at times other than Christmas.
Occasionally, Christmas can be depressing for the very reasons it is esteemed. Sadly, many people take their lives during the holiday. Maybe, like the Grinch, we need to realize that Christmas is a little bit more than it appears. There is definitely a spiritual quality to the season, but that quality is not limited to the Christian interpretation. The “spirit of Christmas” is what separates Yuletide from the rest of the year. This ethereal concept makes Christmas stand above all other celebrations. That Christmas spirit is the spirit of giving.
People are nicer at Christmas, they are more helpful at Christmas and they are more generous at Christmas. Where do they get all those smiles, hands and all that money? During the rest of the year, they store them up and keep them. At Christmas, people give. In the Bible, there is a quote attributed to Jesus not recorded directly from His lips. It was a mantra of the early church. Luke recorded it in Acts in the words of Paul when he said, “We must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
The magic of Christmas is found in giving. To be sure, such giving affects all other aspects of Christmas, but none of them are powerful enough to enlighten the season alone. The joy of giving, however, need not be limited by time. I can give throughout the year. The gains of giving are especially gratifying when the giver has little to share. In any circumstance, you can give. The things I want for Christmas won’t break anyone’s bank. What people really need is to be needed, and givers certainly are that. And the line is not that long.
Sterl
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