The last visit we had from Jehovah Witnesses at our place, the conversation went a bit like this:
Me: Hi, you're Jehovah Witnesses, aren't you?"
The two ladies: "yes we are"
Me: "Well, there is no sense in going into your talk. I have my own church and you're not going to change my mind, and I am not going to change yours. Besides, you lost me completely with that no celebrating holidays and birthdays. I love giving and getting gifts. It must really suck to be a Jehovah Witness." (Yes, I said suck)
After they got the deer in the headlights look off their faces, one of them said they believe in giving gifts every day of the year. Giving me up for a lost cause, they went their way.
I have always loved Christmas. Even before I came to know the Savior of Christmas the way I know Him today, I still loved it. It wasn't the gifts - sure I like to give and receive gifts - it is just everything about the season. There is a feeling of goodwill, peace, and love. People's thoughts turn more to things of God, and even those who don't acknowledge Jesus are still celebrating His birth.
If you look through the Bible, the Jews were big on feasts and holidays. They spent days feasting and celebrating all sorts of things. The idea that this suddenly became wrong after the New Testament ends is wrong and not Biblical at all.
And who should better celebrate Jesus' birth than we who serve Him?
Much is said about the commercialization of Christmas, and a lot of it goes on. But we should never let that stop us from celebrating this season better and differently than the world. They should have nothing on a Christian when it comes to celebrating Christmas.
This is the time of year set aside to observe and celebrate that night long ago when God became a baby, the most vulnerable and helpless of humans. He was born to be like us, and to die for us. Our methods and ways of observing and celebrating that wonderful Holy night may differ, but observe and celebrate it we should.
Yes, Jesus can get lost under all of the shopping, the gifts, the Christmas tree, Santa, the Christmas cookies and music and everything else that makes up this season.......but it can also help remind us of what - or Who - it is all about, and help us to celebrate His birth with excitement, reverence, and thankfulness.
At the end of the much-loved Christmas Carol, comes these words: "And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!”
Oh that the same could be said of all we who profess to follow this Savior....... that we keep Christmas like no other. We should...... we who serve and follow Him know what it is all about.
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