Are you getting ready for Christmas? Lots of people are! For most of us, it’s easy to be a Christian at Christmas. It’s easy to blend in with the holiday crowd and get caught up with the merry songs, colorful decorations, twinkling lights, the festivities and tidings of good cheer, and the tradition of giving and receiving gifts. And the baby. Who doesn’t love the news of a newborn baby?
For some in this world, it’s never easy to be a Christian. To bear the mark of Jesus is to invite hardship, persecution, torture, and even death. It’s not a popular Christmas theme, but it is at the very heart of the Christmas story, the story of the child who would come into our world for distinct purpose of dying for us. The baby was marked. And I wonder, are we? Do we bear the mark of a Christian or a mere holiday goer?
I’ve been made fun of and scoffed at for being Christian. But I have never experienced real persecution for my faith. Chances are, you haven’t either. We’ve dealt with politically correct school officials who insist on “winter solstice” concerts and store owners who compel their employees to wish us “happy holidays.” But (so far) it’s pretty easy to be a Christian in the western world.
It’s also easy to get caught up in the trappings of traditions, thinking we can’t have Christmas without the tinsel. Maybe you’ve thought, “We can’t have Christmas without (fill in the blank).” We got rid of all our Christmas decorations a few years back, anticipating our move to the mission field in South America. Cancer set those plans for a while. But we found the real celebration of Christmas in an undecorated hospital room. You too can find Christmas anywhere, if you look for it.
Imagine if there were no presents under the tree and even no tree. If you are apart from family and friends, are you able to unwrap the real meaning of Christmas? Can you see past Santa to find the Savior? If so, you can find the very best gift, the gift of God’s presence that shines deeply into your soul.
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11