Confessions of a Reforming Grinch

The hand carved nativity scene I bought in Bethlehem, Israel when I was there. It is carved out of Olive wood.

It's Christmas time, and these days I am the one pushing the idea of Christmas lights, decorations, and so on.  It wasn't always that way, this has only happened in recent years.  I used to really despise Christmas time for some justified reasons, at least I thought they were justified.  Like many people I couldn't stand the commercialization of what should be a celebration of one of the most important events in all of human history.  But, there is more to that story.

I often found myself in a family that didn't have much money so Christmas gifts were so much less than those around me.  That wasn't true across the board, there were years where we had a lot as well.  Nevertheless, those skimpy years stuck in my memory as I watched others get these amazing gifts compared to what I got...or so I thought.  Envy and jealousy don't look good on anyone!  Even as a parent I often wish I could spend more on my kids, but that is another conversation for another time.  Money is one of the reasons I have struggled with Christmas.

The narrative of the true Christmas story often felt a little empty to me.  Most of the sermons I heard regarding the Christmas story lacked theological depth.  That isn't to say they weren't Biblical, but they were about Mary, Joseph, wise men, shepherds, and so on, but they missed the incarnation of the eternal, divine, son of God almost all together (at least that is how I remember it).  Instead, I got messages on how we should have the faith of Mary, the integrity of Joseph, or something along those lines.  Don't get me wrong, those aren't bad points in a larger theme, but the gospels weren't telling their story, they were telling the story of Jesus.  Sometime we get a little sidetracked, even as pastors.  Pastors are always trying to be creative around Christmas because they don't wan't to preach the same sermons year after year...I get it, but maybe that isn't the best approach.  

I could go on, but this is about how I am reforming my attitude.  I love Christmas, or at least I am working on loving Christmas.  While I could do without all the commercialization, the buying of gifts, and so on, I love the real story of Christmas.  The story of the incarnation is rich and meaningful on multiple levels.  The prophecy that foretells the coming of a messiah, the twist in the story when that messiah is born in such modest circumstances, the cliff hanger that looks forward to a divine reality on earth, and so much more.  Even the resurrection leaves us with a cliff hanger, a story of sacrifice that awaits a triumphal entry that is yet to come and will dwarf the one recorded in the gospels the week before the crucifixion.  What a story, and we are in the middle of it, but that is the point isn't it?  The story is still unfolding in front of our very eyes.  Someday when Jesus returns, literal eye are going to watch that event happen whether they are our eyes or our descendants eyes.

This Christmas I await, not just the entrance of the divine, eternal, son of God into this world for the first time, but the fullness of time that will bring him back again to establish his kingdom for eternity.  The lights, Christmas presents, and so on should be fun as long as we remember this epic story we are a part of and the role Christmas plays in that story.  There are so many ways to keep Jesus central this Christmas season.  What an opportunity to talk about Jesus openly and proclaim the good news of the gospel!  Christmas is exciting, and it should be.  Not because of lights, gifts, or fun movies, but because it is the unfolding of God's redemptive plan in history.  Merry Christmas!!