The day we celebrate as Christmas wasn't always a Christian holiday and still isn't in many parts of the world - it used to be a pagan agricultural festival called Saturnalia that was celebrated in Rome by gift giving and lots of debauchery - even the election of a mock king. Actually most European countries had a pagan festival that they celebrated around Christmastime.
My friend is in China right now and she says that Christmas isn't really a holiday over there and although it has been growing in popularity it is still a strictly secular holiday. That made me think about what my life without Christmas might look like or be.
I celebrate Christmas in America and it looks a whole lot like the other pagan holidays that are mentioned above - gift-giving, gluttony, lights, trees, Santa - no Jesus.
Around 350 AD a Pope redeemed the pagan festivals and made it easier for men and women to convert to Christianity. They still got their festivals; they were just celebrating something different.
Personally, I believe Jesus was born in the springtime. However, I am absolutely thrilled by the fact that December 25 is the day that is set aside for me to celebrate his birth, the gift that he gave to me. I'm absolutely thrilled that Pope Julius I had redemption on his heart and mind when he claimed that day as the day we should celebrate Jesus' birth. That he snatched it from all things unholy and made it a holy day.
What I'm ashamed to admit is that I don't know that I've always done such a good job of celebrating Christ's birth as I have at celebrating the pagan festival of gift-giving. Most of the time, I'm more concerned with what I'm going to get and give to other people than I am about who Jesus is and what He means in my life. This year it's all coming into a much clearer picture for me and while I'm ashamed at myself, I'm also quite awakened to worship. I'm also quite awakened to the fact that after 25 years, the Lord still has redemption on his heart and mind for me, to continually plant His reality in me - His meaning for Christmas.
Perhaps reading through Isaiah and understanding the need for a Messiah awakens within me my own personal need for a Messiah, not just once to "ask him into my heart" but every day and it arises within me the hope of his return.
"O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him
Christ, the Lord."
2 comments:
thanks for the wonderful reminder..redemption is such a powerful part of this season and we so quickly lose sight of it. i love the line "that he snatched it from all things unholy.." - that's a beautiful picture of our salvation.
i'm glad i stumbled across your site.. have a wonderful Christmas!
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