if a serious Christian does Christmas all wrong, what hope is there? well, plenty. which is what the first Christmas, which was done right, is trying to tell us.
somewhere along the way, we got seriously screwed up about Christmas. we haven't gotten seriously screwed up about any. other. birthday. when you're invited to someone's birthday party, does the person having the birthday give you a gift? or do you give him one?
we don't say, well, it's joe's birthday, but rather than send him a card or or buy him a new tie, i'ma buy my brother one instead. better yet, since they're buy one get one free, i'll get one for my brother and one for myself, too. joe? what joe?
the first Christmas told us what joe. we just didn't like it.
what we liked was the gold, frankincense, and myrrh part. gold, frankincense, and myrrh on crack. that's what we like.
i was standing in line to check out at macy's yesterday and at the cash register were a bunch of little, last minute kinds of things to tempt buyers to drop a few more bucks. you know what i mean - every store has them. the department i happened to be in had socks, lip gloss, tiny ornaments, and even gift-wrapped bottled water. bottled water?
i said to the cashier, sheesh, this is ridiculous. she said, "what is?" i said, gift-wrapped bottled water. who needs that? "no one needs that," she said, "but it's Christmas. gotta be merry." gotta make more money for mr. macy, i think you mean. "true," she said, "but these things make people happy. you'd be surprised how much of it we sell. people want to be happy. it's what Christmas is all about."
it is not what Christmas is all about. it is an entirely, couldn't-be-more-wrong thing about what Christmas is all about. Christmas isn't about you or me or anybody else being happy. in many ways, it's the exact opposite of that. it's about how, in spite of not being happy, in spite of actually suffering, your life can be delirious with joy - if you follow Christ.
designer water for Christmas? mary drank from a well. and not a very clean one at that.
i'm not saying we need to drink dirty water to honor Christmas. i'm not saying we have to ditch our cars for donkeys and crowded malls for a peasant selling (good) bread. not saying we can't have a tree.
but maybe i am. a tree? egg nog? a new car in the driveway? with a big red bow?
your new car is in the driveway.
and He's waiting to take you away.
