CRAZY ABOUT CHRISTMAS?

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13-14 ESV)

Do you know someone who is crazy about Christmas? I bet you do. Many Americans have lost their ability to think rationally when it comes to Christmas. Materialism is rampant everywhere during this season of the year. How else would you explain 200 – 300 people waiting outside a store at 4:00 AM in the freezing cold for an early opening sale? Once the doors are open, the scene is like finding yourself in the middle of a reindeer stampede. The shoppers push and trample over anything or anyone in their way. They sometimes grab items out of other shoppers’ hands or carts and curses proliferate from their mouths.

Christmas revelers go to great lengths in order to decorate their homes with all the familiar symbols of a secular Christmas. They turn their front yards into extravagant light shows to attract attention and win the approval of others. Then, they borrow money to pay for it all. Their goal is to live a crazy fantasy for a short time each year which, in reality, has nothing to do with the real meaning of Christmas. The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is particularly a story of love. Christmas is all about love; a love that restores our relationship with God.