...and On This Day We Remember Nothing

Ah, it's that time of year again. Chestnuts roasting, fires crackling, children screaming. Was Jesus born on this day? Could He be considering it was the middle of the desert in the middle of winter? Of course since God can do anything, but no because He would never defy the laws of physics just to prove a point or make it more convenient for modern worshippers. Then again, where are the modern worshippers? I hate to restate old points, but why is it that Christmas now seems to be a holiday more for the nonbelievers, or dare I say the weak Christians? We have fallen into a state beyond commercialism, beyond materialism. Even in this kind of economy the malls are crowded, the pockets are emptied and debts are enlarged.

How has it come to this? People feel that just because it's Christmas they need to get each other meaningless gifts and forget about the most important Gift of all. God's Son to us wretched humans. The sad thing is, many Christians even fall into this. On the Christian radio station I frequent (I won't mention names) they discussed presents more often than they did Jesus. It almost seems like they were trying to appeal to the masses. Then why market yourself as a not-for-profit Christian station at the bottom of the dial if you want to be more secular? It was really surprising and rather disappointing.

The strangest thing I find is secular Christmas songs. Isn't that an oxymoron? Christmas being a purely religious holiday has spawned such classics as "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and in fact "Carol of the Bells" was originally a Pagan tune. There are easily three times as many secular Christmas songs than there are religious ones (traditionally speaking). Of course there are a lot of original CCM Christmas songs but most of those are not played on mainstream radio or in malls. I just don't understand the concept. There are no secular Passover songs, there are no secular Easter songs, and don't try to convince me it is because Christmas was never a religious holiday. Of course it is. It is the celebration of the day our Lord and Saviour came down from Heaven, born in human form, and established the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

What I don't understand is non-religious people getting excited over Christmas. Like my boss. I know plenty of Christians who don't get half as excited as her, and she isn't even a follower. She believes, but she does nothing to prove it. That is like me getting excited over Ramadan. It's not my holiday. Christmas is not the Pagan's holiday. Leave Santa out of it, he does not belong where Jesus lay. Don't be the lizard.