I think this whole living intentionally through Christmas is working for me. Keeping me focused, I mean. I had a full on run in with it in the mall yesterday. Yes, I am still doing the Christmas shopping, dodging crowds in the mall thing but I figure (at least this is what I tell myself) that it's because I LOVE to give gifts at Christmas in remembrance of the greatest gift given at Christmas rather than that being caught up in the materialism in the holiday. Okay, back to the story. I was in HMV and they were playing Christmas music. I'm humming away when on comes "Happy Birthday Baby Jesus." I'm not sure who was doing it but it was honestly an arrangement of the traditional birthday song sung to Baby Jesus. Outside of the messed up theology that says He's still a baby (you wouldn't sing 'Happy Birthday Baby Norbert' either...not that I know anyone named Norbert), I smiled thinking about how much closer to the real meaning of Christmas this song was than the many I'd heard earlier in the day. I was startled from my reflection by the cashier and some customers making fun of the song, "Happy Birthday Baby Jesus...yah right. Couldn't come up with any other songs?" and then someone reached for 'skip track' and we were back to Santa Claus, Snowmen and ringing cash registers.
When did we become so cold and blind as a society that we can't even recognize the meaning of Christmas? I realize that not everyone "buys into" the whole meaning of Christmas but to discredit it completely?! It made me sad to think of the holiday many people will be celebrating. For our family and many others, Christmas is a season filled with hope, joy, purpose and meaning. What does a holiday void of Jesus actually bring? Food gets digested, families go seperate ways again and presents eventually lose their lustre and end up in corners and closets. What of lasting value is found in a Christmas without the one true gift?
It makes me thankful for the home I grew up in and the opportunities I've had to see Jesus at work in my life and the lives of those around me. I'm no better than any of the people I passed in the malls yesterday - I've been given a gift worth far more than anything carried in a shopping bag and wrapped in pretty paper. It reminds me to share this gift with others. If I love sharing material gifts, how much more should I love sharing this one? It draws me back, to a manger that became a cradle to a King...Happy Birthday Jesus!
1 comment:
Wow... how quickly I turn into that cashier. Just at my last family shin-dig we finished off our round of caroling with a rendition of Happy B-day to Jesus (not Baby Jesus) and I caught myself having the same thoughts as the cashier. Carols mentioning Christ were Ok, but for some reason I wasn't comfortable with the birthday song as applying to Christ. I'm still not sure why I felt that way, but we sang the song and after I knew it was right.
I don't think that I'm missing the point, but maybe I need a little more of the three wise men in my thoughts. We're definitely called to worship Jesus as a savior and that includes celebrating His birth too.
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