Holidays

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Will You Miss Christmas?
by
Stephen A. Peterson

During the Christmas period, many individuals will miss Christmas for many, many reasons. People of Christ’s time missed Christmas and the joys it brings! So, how does one miss Christmas?

The innkeeper from who Joseph and Mary requested a room, missed Christmas. The innkeeper missed Christmas because he was too busy placing people and was, therefore, unable to prepare a room for Christ’s coming. Like the innkeeper, too many people today are too busy buying Christmas presents, spending money, expending their energies, in the moment of the shopping frenzy to consider Christ, to give Him the time of day or prepare themselves for His coming. Once Christmas arrives, it is nothing but another day and they are happy when it is over. They subsequently complain about how meaningless Christmas is that people just spend too much money, that Christmas is too commercialized and that it is for children and so forth.

The religious leaders of Christ’s day missed Christmas and despite being well read, legally correct, politically correct, and even knew the signs of the Messiah’s coming, they still missed Christmas! As with the days of old, some leaders of our religious community verbalize, quote and seemingly praise Christ’s Name. However, their recognition of Christ is void of the love of Christ. Christmas and Christ are commercialized to meet their underlying needs whatever those needs may be!

Herod, the ruler of Judea, at the time of Christ’s birth, missed Christmas. His hatred and paranoid behavior and reaction attempted to destroy Christ and
Christmas. Modern Herods throughout the United States and the world, are attempting to destroy Christ and Christmas under the guide of separation of Church and State; lawsuits, over the display of Nativity scene placements, secular Christmas cards, which are devoid of Jesus Christ, replacement of “Merry Christmas” for “Happy Holidays”, or “The Holidays” because these terms are socially or politically correct. Their joy is the slaughter of the innocents’ minds of the desire to pray and speak of Christmas and Jesus in their schools or in the public forum.

The majority of people on that first Christmas Day missed Christmas. For them, as it will be for many today, Christmas is just another day! It seems that a few will know the peace and joy of Christmas! Does Christmas have to be this way? After all, Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ who brought peace and unconditional love to a world in desperate need of both. Christmas is God’s love for humankind. No amount of gifts, cheers, alcohol or family activity will advance the joys of Christmas with the Author of the day. Only a love of God, faith and forgiveness will advance a meaningful Christmas. Everything else is symbolic and only meant to advance Christ and the message that He bore for us all---the Good News of the Gospel and Human salvation! Will you too miss Christmas?

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