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Have you ever wondered why so many people get depressed during the holiday season?
The suicide rates jump. People actually consider Christmas a a letdown, an anticlimax. We spend days in shopping malls, fight over the last "Tickle Me Elmo", and almost run each other over to get the last parking space in a ten mile radius. And if you live in the snow areas, it's worse. With all the glamor and glitter, is it any wonder people can't find any meaning in Christmas.
The purpose of this page has always been to help you take another look . . . at life, at nature, and at creation. I want you to read my work and take another look at God. But when you read this session, I want to you take another look at Christmas. Hopefully, something you read will help you find joy during this holiday season.
It's Christmas time again.
It's Christmas time again. Time to get tipsy on spiked egg-nog, to get tangled in a web of multi-colored lights, to dress in ridiculously, reindeer speckled clothing. It's time to quibble with in laws, stuff ourselves, and engage in a day of shameless decadence.
Did I say decadence? I mean avarice. After all, this is Christmas. And we all know that Christmas is about getting gifts.
Don't act ignorant. You know that's what it's about. It's why inevidably at the end of the day, someone will be disappointed. A toy will have been broken, stolen, or not recieved. Another unwanted gift will have been given. You hear the echoes all over America: "Oh no! Not another tie!" "All I ever get for Christmas is clothes!" "But I wanted a blue one!" The little demigod of greed gets stronger with every rip of brightly colored wrapping paper; and the retailers dance in glee over million dollar returns.
There's got to be a real meaning behind this . . .
Picture this, if you will.
Two young boys are sent to pick out a Christmas tree. They return, and their tree is ridiculed. It's not flashy enough. It's not big enough. Totally disallusioned, one boy screams "Can't anyone tell me what Christmas is all about?"
You mean you don't know?
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly thre was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
It's not about trees, or presents, or red suited men driving reindeer. It's a celebration of the birth of Christ.
Christmas is a birthday party. A birthday party for the son of the most high God. And only the baby got presents the first Christmas.
What are you giving Jesus for his birthday?
You may say "Jesus wasn't even born on December 25, you crazy Christians just took some pagan holiday." So what? The fact still remains that Jesus was born, that he is the son of God, and no man comes in God's presence without a gift. All through Scripture, men came to prophets and priests with an offering.
So what are you giving Christ?
Allow me to tell you another story.
Come, they told me
A newborn king to see
The finest gifts we bring to lay before the king
So to honor him when we come
A child is invited to the best birthday party ever! To see a newborn king . . . what an honor! A once in a lifetime opportunity! But wait. Did they say the finest gifts?
Little baby
I am a poor boy too
I have no gift to bring that's fit to give a king
Shall I play for you on my drum?
Poor child. Coming into the presence of a king, the presence of God no less, without a gift? Had he no home training?
Let's look closer.
He did have a gift. His talent.
Can't you see him? Standing there before Mary and Joseph with his worn, precious drumsticks in his hands? Shyly looking at the baby Jesus, wishing he had something more to offer him?
So many times we look at ourselves and think we have nothing to offer Christ. Our talents are too small to be useful to Him. We can't write like Ebony, can't dance like Jamiliah, can't sing like James. Or maybe, to keep it in context, I should say we don't have gold, can't afford frankincense, and don't even know what myrrh is. Our little drummer stands before Jesus with a tattered drum and a grimy, worn pair of drumsticks. We stand before him with a broken vessel filled with the scraps of our lives.
It doesn't matter.
Shall I play for him on my drum?
Make the offer. Put yourself out there. Despite what you may feel, what you may look like, offer what you have to Jesus. You won't be refused.
Mary nodded
The ox and lamb kept time
I played my drum for him
I played my best for him
Then he smiled at me, me and my drum.
But it doesn't make sense! Christ smiling at me! They gave him the best, and he didn't smile at them. I gave him so very little . . .
But you gave him what you knew was your best.
Never underestimate the power in a simple gift freely given. Pick up your drumsticks and play your best for the king in a manger.
That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
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