Other

Line for Jesus

by RAD KHAN
12/21/12
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

Where is the line for Jesus?

As I was walking through one of the malls in Toronto this Christmas season, I couldn’t help but wonder what we were celebrating at this time of the year. It seemed that all the decorations, and the Santa’s booth was geared to selling and receiving gifts. The Santa’s booth was big enough to put up a small house and it was filled with decorations and Christmas music – the music had nothing to do with the real celebration of the season, but it was drawing a crowd of adults with or without kids. The line up to see and sit on Santa’s lap was long – they had young people (dressed in red as “elves”) encouraging them to sign up to have a picture with Santa, and to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. I stopped for a few minutes and wondered to myself, “How many of those parents and kids knew the real meaning of Christmas?”  

I came home and received the link to this song, “Where is the line for Jesus?” It caused me to reflect on my own childhood, and I couldn’t recall such a scene as I had witnessed in the mall a few minutes ago. Most of the stores and houses in my country of birth had the underlying theme of the birth of Christ. I remembered that we use to walk around the stores, and drive around the city looking at the decorations – even though I had no concept of the true meaning of the reason for the season at that time in my life, I knew that it was a special time of the year. A different reason to celebrate, and the gifts we received had a deeper meaning to it more than it does today.

Something was just different about that time of the year, and the scenes of the manger added to that awe, as people of all colour and faith would stop at such scenes and in some essence, pay homage to the birth of Christ. I can’t help but wonder the impact and influence such scenes had on both adults and kids alike. I know that it was imbedded in my own mind and caused me to seek out the truth in my later years. Santa was present in some of the bigger stores, but tucked away in a corner so as not to impede the flow of traffic and sales – I cannot ever recall asking to go and see him or to have a picture with him, but up to this day I still remember the crib scenes, and this song brought back those memories...I wonder if we had big scenes of the manger, or decorations to reflect the real reason for the season, with songs to reflect the birth of Christ and the reason for his birth, if there will be a line up to see Jesus....after all, He gives the greatest gifts, not what we want, but what we need.