This time of the year you see so much good will in the form of giving time, food, necessities and money to others, even perfect strangers. Donations go up significantly this time of year. The birth of our Savior is recognized with nativity scenes, songs, church performances and thousands of traditions that help us focus on Christ’s birth.
There is also hostility for the season. People judge those who celebrate the Saviors birth and say hostile things towards those who celebrate. There is contempt for the festival people choose to remember the Savior. There are people who sway others to stop celebrating for many reasons. They even quote Scriptures. They heckle people’s choice to do good deeds for others. They tell them they are doing wrong.
These people I speak of are Christians. Yep, you read it correctly. This specific group is proclaiming Christ and in the same breath condemning a celebration for Christ. I do not understand. They say, “Stop it!” Really? They want us to stop giving gifts that represent the wise men who gave gifts to Jesus (Matthew 2). They want us to stop singing carols that represents a great company of heavenly hosts with the angels praising God and shouting praise (Luke 4:13-14). They want us to stop showing Christ we remember his birth that started the whole salvation plan in the world. Stop remembering? I wish we celebrated Christmas all 12 months of the year.
We should look for people to share the good news with all year long. We should give to charitable organizations all year long; not just in December for a tax write-off. We should spend time with family instead of only seeing them once a year to play Chinese Christmas. We should have our nativity scenes out all year and the cross right next to it.
So, let this be our New Years Resolution: When we see someone in need over the next 12 months, we act! Let us resolve to do good, smile more and help others everyday. God will give us opportunities everyday if we just have faith to look. Let loving God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and loving your neighbor as ourself be our motivation all 365 days this year.
1 comment:
It's always interesting how many Christians feel so smug in giving their "proof" that Christ was most likely NOT born on December 25th,..or that the wise men were not present at the birth of Christ--but likely a couple of years later. Instead of celebrating that He WAS born and came to our rescue, they judge others for not having all the perfect theology--and miss the greatest point of all history, that "God became flesh and dwelt among us".
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