The Christmas Grinch

I love Christmas, the sounds of the music, the spiced cider, the colorful lights that decorate front yards, and all the gatherings of family and friends.  It's just plain fun. Over the years I loved visiting all the great Christmas programs churches performed all to remind us about the real story of Christmas. As a child our family would attend the majestic mid-night mass services and of course it was then just a short night until the big morning of presents.  All of this has great memories for me, and we have tried to maintain this kind of spirit with our children.  

Today in our ever increasing politically correct world, we are losing ground to those who feel Christmas should be kept to a cultural holiday and not a religious one.  When I was a child growing up there were many municipalities who had the Nativity scene from Bethlehem all lit up on the front lawn of the court house. Try that one today. One website dedicated to posting the nativity scenes that are displayed today on public land posted this note:

About Nativity Scenes on Public Land in USA

Post photos of Nativity Scenes found in Public Places. Please do not describe where it is, let the town, village, or whatever enjoy their display in peace - 

Christmas is the one holiday the cultural Grinch stole from the Church and made it into a "Happy Holidays." Now it doesn't dictate to me or to you for that matter on how we celebrate this holiday, and I don't seriously think we will ever get the holiday back to just celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.   It just amazes me that of all the holidays that Christians celebrate there are counterfeit celebrations.  Christmas which is about the birth of Christ, we have Santa Claus and on Easter which is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have the Easter bunny.  Come on really?  Has anyone wondered by we don't have a Ramadan counterfeit celebration,  or a Hanukkah counterfeit celebration,  or a counterfeit for any of the major celebrations by world religions?  Why is Christianity the only world religion that has this counter alternative to the real meaning of Christmas and Easter?  Perhaps its because the truth has to be subverted by the one who is the great subverter. Satan wants culture to be the end all for everything we do and believe.  Culture is a tool of the great deceiver, and deception is best served through the counter measures to keep people away from the truth. Christmas and Easter are the two celebrations that declare the glory and mercy of God, because they focus on the story of God's salvation. The culture may be a Grinch that steals the truth, but stealing the spotlight at a holiday does not declare absolute victory.  Let's pray that this Christmas season people will come to know the real meaning of this season, and discover that God's greatest gift to us is His Son Jesus Christ. 

Merry Christmas 

Keeping it honest and truthful....K