Christmas spirit has begun to fill our neighborhoods as lights, figurines, and ornaments appear in houses and yards. It’s interesting to see the different setups. Mr. and Mrs. Santa stand next to the Grinch and his dog Max. Reindeer sit on a roof, and Santa’s lower body protrudes from a chimney. Next door, soft lights illuminate a nativity with Joseph, Mary, the baby in the manger, a couple of shepherds and three wise men presenting gifts. A bright star hangs above.
Does it ever strike you as odd to have Frosty the Snowman and Santa Clause standing right next to a nativity scene? Are we, perhaps, blending legend with reality, fiction with truth?
Most of the world do not recognize the first six letters in the holiday they enjoy each year. For them, it’s about family time, gift giving, pretty things, and good food. They love Hallmark Christmas movies about believing in Santa Clause and miracles on certain New York City streets. Tim Allen brings much cheer with his Santa Clause series and Christmas with the Kranks. And you gotta love the Grinch—maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store…maybe Christmas means something more. I confess Elf is one of my favorites, all about family and believing in Santa.
On the one hand, Christmas is about believing in a jolly fat man who brings us stuff each year.
On the other hand, Christmas is about Christ, our Savior, entering the world in a way that seemed harmless and normal at the time but which set off an explosion that rocked the globe.
Which is it? Is it okay to spend our energies and imaginations on secular Christmas lore each year, shed our tears for all those children who don’t believe in Santa, and celebrate in an entirely secular way—without Christ in the picture? Is it okay to celebrate the birth of Christ, the day when God became flesh and literally dwelt among men? Is it okay to do both and jumble everything together in a mad frenzy of faith in the Lord and belief in a saint who seems to enjoy god-like qualities (never dies, sees you when you’re sleeping, knows when you’re awake, knows when you’ve been bad or good, enters every house in the world in one night, etc.). I wonder if some confuse Saint Nick with Jesus.
As Christians, we should be discerning during this season. When profit-seeking producers serve us movies which tell us the meaning of Christmas is “to believe,” we should ask questions. We should believe in what or in whom? They encourage children to believe in magic. Believe in Santa and flying reindeer. Should we allow our children to believe in that?
Now listen—I do believe in a certain kind of “magic.” I know God does things, as he pleases, which defy physical laws and scientific explanation. Therefore, I am not opposed to literature or movies which have fantastical elements to them, because I interpret those fictional instances as pointing to (reflecting) the real power of God to work things according to his purpose and will.
However, when we are asked to believe in magic for magic’s sake or when we are asked to truly believe in something not grounded in reality, we should not comply. If we entertain the story of Santa Clause with our children, we should make sure they understand we are pretending with them; it’s all a wonderful game.
But when we share the marvelous and miraculous event of Christ’s birth with our children, we should share it as historical reality with real consequence to their lives…and the lives of every human. Christ is real. The Son of God entered this world as a babe in a manger, no crib for his bed. Immanuel, God with us!
Let us be judicious in how we allow the world to entertain us this season. Are we drawing closer to Christ and the work he has done, or are we being drawn into a godless, empty faith in the creation rather than the Creator? Are we being asked to believe in a magic divorced from the one who truly works wonders and makes miracles happen?
We are to bring every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor. 10.5). Think about how you celebrate this season and how you teach your kids to celebrate. Whatever we do in word or deed, we should do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, should we not? In our haste to not do something for which God has given no direct command (celebrate his Son’s birth) do we end up celebrating something else for which God has not only given no direct command but, in fact, has nothing to do with him at all? Perhaps it’s a twist of irony that some Christians trade celebrating Christ’s birth for celebrating the indulgence of their flesh. “Son, we don’t sing about Jesus being born during this season, because the Bible doesn’t say that he was. We don’t put a star on top of the tree because that’s religious. We want to make sure this holiday has nothing to do with him.”
My parents were fairly consistent during this season. We didn’t celebrate Christmas as Christ’s birth; we didn’t celebrate Christmas at all. We never had a Christmas tree in our house (except the one time my brother and I cut a limb from one of our cedar trees and erected a frightening, scraggly thing that would have made Charlie Brown proud). We never gave presents on December 25th. They couldn’t find a “thus saith the Lord” for celebrating the birth of Christ, and they certainly didn’t believe he was born on December 25th, so they opted to avoid it altogether. That, in my opinion, is a consistent plan.
In my house, we are not so consistent, I’ll admit. I am personally happy with celebrating the birth of our Lord. The shepherds worshipped the baby because of who he is. As someone said, there would be no crucifixion without the conception, and he came by the power of God. If you decide to join with the many Christians world-wide who remember and celebrate his birth on that day, praise God! If you enjoy the folklore and fun our society has built around the day, I just encourage you to be judicious.
Be firmly convinced in your own faith and practice, praise God in all you do, and don’t judge your brother if he walks differently in his faith! (Romans 14)