PURE Christmas

When and how did our Christmas traditions get so distorted? Why is it that this holiday season, according to psychologists and therapists, is the most depressive time of year?! How did the celebration of our Savior, Redeemer, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace come to make people sad and depressed? I decided to re-visit this familiar event, in short form, and see if we can find out the answer:

Years ago some shepherds were just doing their job taking care of sheep and making sure everything was alright. Then this amazing event occured. An angel came and told them their Savior had been born, and then a host of heavenly beings came and celebrated with them. Well, the shepherds discussed it and decided they should go see Him. After they saw Mary and the baby, they told people all about what they had heard and had seen. (Luke 2)

In another part of the country some magi/wise men saw this remarkable star and remembered the story they had heard about a Messiah coming. They set out following this star in the hopes of finding the long awaited Messiah so they could worship Him. It is recorded that when they found the child and His mother they fell down and worshipped Him right there, then gave HIM the gifts they had brought. (Matthew 2)

Some truths I observe in these verses is that:
1. Nothing is said about gathering family. Only Jesus was with His parents. Those coming to celebrate and worship Him LEFT their families to pursue their Savior.
2. The only gift giving recorded at the "original Christmas" were the gifts FOR Jesus.
3. I also realize that there are no additional recorded incidents in scripture of anyone having a special day to celebrate Jesus' birthday. I mean nowhere do we read that families got together and said "Ok, it's been 10 (20, 30) years now since Jesus was born so to celebrate His birthday I want you to make me a list of all the things you've been wanting this year and give it to me. I am going down to Ben-Shekinah Village today - and having your lists will sure make it easier to buy for each of you."

Of course the original birthday celebration set the bar high. I want to continue to CELEBRATE it that way, as well. CELEBRATING CHRIST's BIRTH is "pure Christmas". I want to always sing and praise and bring gifts TO our Savior as much as the angel, the heavenly hosts, the shepherds and the wise men did.

But someone, somewhere, somehow changed this picture. We went from worshiping Jesus and bringing gifts to Jesus, to making it about families being together, gathering with friends and bringing gifts to our family and friends. Christmas became about us and things and stuff.

How can my family bring gifts TO Jesus and celebrate Him?

Once again, the scripture puts it very clearly:

"For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will say...when did we see you in these situations and help you? and Jesus will answer, 'The truth is, to the extent you did this to even the least of my people, you did it to Me.' "

There it is - giving gifts to those who truly are in need - is giving a gift to Jesus - just Pure Christmas.

Much of what we do at Christmas is cultural and man-made. Traditions were developed, and commercially inspired.
We love Santa, but he has distracted us from the Savior.
I love buying gifts for my family, friends, and those that have nothing. But, it has usually been in that order.

In retrospect -
What if, at Christmas, our celebration of Christs birth was taking my girls shopping - with $200.00 each - and they could only buy for others: children whose parents are in jail, even the parents that are in jail, those who are homeless, families struggling just to have clothes to wear, food to eat etc.
They would make NO lists for Santa or anyone else. No lists for anything they want, or I want... but allowed them the delight and pure joy of developing lists of items that might meet the needs of others. Can you imagine what kind of heart and soul would develop in them?! I have seen how their spirits, as well as mine, were overjoyed when we have given to families and children in desperate situations. It was priceless!!

We give our children what they need and want all year long, what would be wrong with having this one time of year not be about you at all.

When I see:
* the conflict with the ACLU about nativity scenes in public places
* controversy over "Merry Christmas" ,
* families getting depressed and deeper in debt in order to buy what children, spouse and family members want for Christmas,
* A santa to celebrate instead of a Savior,
* men & women stressed out because the house is not decorated,
* parties leaving us broke and exhausted,
* lonliness and heartache because someone is gone or left or hurt us,

- it makes it so obvious to me that had we kept Christmas pure, none of these personal issues would be a problem, because our focus would have been on celebrating JESUS - and finding more gifts to give to Him.
And He never changes. He is still to be celebrated.
Your status in ANY arena of life would not quench this glorious celebration! How in the world would that kind of celebration cause sadness & depression, stress, fights, debt and despair?

Oh yes, sometime long ago, we - Believers - bought into this "new Christmas". Our "pure Christmas" was cheapened. I'm thinking it's time to step up to the worldwide-service-desk and say "I've come to return this" - this product just doesn't do it for me anymore. I'm no longer settling for polyester, faux fur & imitation anything! - I only want something that is authentic, real, genuine, 100% pure.

I'm just saying... Merry Christmas!