The Importance of Christmas
Introduction
Today is Christmas in 2019. After over 2000 years of history, the birth of Christ is celebrated worldwide and especially here in the USA where it is also a National Holiday. It is one of 10 National holidays recognized by our Congress as an important day to celebrate. This celebration happens on multiple levels.
- Dec. 25, 2019
Background
Christmas as a holiday is important on so many levels for various groups. For Christians, it is one of the major religious holidays though it is not as important as Easter. For merchants, it is a major event of the year which is the very reason for their profitability. Black Friday, the Friday before Christmas, is known and named such that for most retail businesses, it is the day of the year where their balance sheet turn black from red. That is when they do the bulk of their sales.
For religious groups like the church, it is one of the most attended services throughout the year. It is a good time to remind those who are too busy to attend weekly services that keeping God close by is a good thing.
For families, it is a good time to get together and celebrate as a group. In many other cultures, people come together as in New Years time to celebrate and pay homage to their ancestors.
For schools, it is also one of the major breaks in between classes. Winter recess is a time to regroup.
For government civil servants, Congressional leaders, it is a time to go home to their districts and connect with their constituents.
Other Groups...
For secular groups, like the ACLU and the American Humanist Society, it is one of the most active time for them. They are busy convincing people to keep God out of our public square. They are the grinch that hates Christmas.
Imagine If There Is No Christmas...
One way to think about this is to imagine what if there is no Christmas. In a parallel universe, where Christ was never born. What would that world look like? Something like the classic movie "It's a Wonderful World" when George Bailey was shown a world if he did not existed.
A world without Christmas would be a dark place. No Christmas songs playing on the radio. "Dreaming of a white Christmas..." No kids laughing and dreaming of the gifts under the tree. No tree. No Santa Klaus ringing his bell Ho Ho Ho. No sending or receiving Christmas cards and good wishes from friends and family. No Salvation Army and their bucket raising money for the poor. No one saying "Merry Christmas" or Happy New Year...
Christmas is not just a holiday. It is a state of mind. It is a time of year to reflect, to give, to pray, to reconnect with family and to forgive. It is a time to be joyful and look forward to the day when we would be reunited with God, our savior.
it is a day when we come together and set aside our differences and rejoice.
Who could object to Christmas? What would be their complaint? What is their agenda? What do they want to replace it with?
Those are the questions I have for the ACLU and the American Humanist Society.
Summary
The truth is, Christmas is a positive force all around. It is a reminder that no matter who you are, or what you belief, you are part of something greater than yourself. The message of Christmas is love, faith, hope, redemption, grace, generosity and charity all rolled into one.
Merry Christmas!
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2019 Jack Lee
