What Is Christmas To You?

Luke 2:12-15 – "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." (NIV)

What is Christmas to you? Is it tinsel, wrappings, and tape?
Is it tawdry trinkets trimming a tree?
Is it Santa Claus, elves, and mistletoe?
Is it shopping hour upon hour in some overcrowded department store
advertising dolls, computer games, and bargains galore,
queued up, but gone sour, from waiting to buy
a baby doll, golf bag, and sweater in blue
101 puppy dog Dalmatians, a stocking red, a coal black shoe,
while mechanical trains pull into paper brick stations,
and children beg and cry for a ride
around a mall atrium gone noisy inside.
Is Christmas rushing from one store to another
bucking the crowds which threaten to smother
our peace on earth and goodwill toward others?
Do you wonder, "What am I doing this for?"
Is this all Christmas means anymore?"

Christmas broke upon this ordinary world in an extraordinary fashion nearly two thousand years ago. The angel announced peace was offered to anyone who would believe. Would you like peace and serenity, in your life? Come to the manger, to the creche, to your Church. Come to Jesus.

Prayer: Oh God! Life seems to be careening once again like bumpercars at a winter's carnival between commercialism and greed. In Jesus' name, bring serenity to our weary world. Amen.