Posted on 12/25/2016 5:20:31 AM PST by Gamecock
Christmas is the only Christian holy day that is also a major secular holiday. This brings some discomfort on both sides. Many Christians can’t help but notice that more and more of the public festivities surrounding Christmas studiously avoid any references to its Christian origins. The background music in stores is moving from “Joy to the World” to “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas.”
On the other hand, nonreligious people can’t help but find that the older meaning of Christmas keeps intruding uninvited, for instance, through the music of traditional Christmas carols. It can be irritating to have to answer their child’s question, “What does that music mean —‘born to give them second birth’?”
Christmas does not say, ‘Cheer up! If we all pull together we can make the world a better place.’
Christmas is about receiving presents, but consider how challenging it is to receive certain kinds of gifts. Some gifts by their very nature make you swallow your pride. Imagine opening a present on Christmas morning from a friend — and it’s a dieting book. Then you take off another ribbon and wrapper and you find it is another book from another friend, “Overcoming Selfishness.” If you say to them, “Thank you so much,” you are in a sense admitting, “For indeed, I am fat and obnoxious.”
In other words, some gifts are hard to receive, because to do so is to admit you have flaws and weaknesses and you need help. Perhaps on some occasion you had a friend who figured out you were in financial trouble and came to you and offered a large sum of money to get you out of your predicament. If that has ever happened to you, you probably found that to receive the gift meant swallowing your pride.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Adapted from the book “Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ” by Timothy Keller (Viking). Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.
My Christmas greeting- Happy Birthday to Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the only Man who can keep you from burning in hell forever.
The background music in stores is moving from “Joy to the World” to “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas
While somewhat true the fact remains that it may well be on the way to reversal already. This past election the Country soundly reject the path of Nation has been on for the past 8 years and I sincerely think that will go even further at the mid term elections. I am looking for Joy To The World to make a come back along with America!
If I had friends that did that they had better be prepared for next year's Christmas gifts to them, LOL.
Not likely that I would receive either one though because they do not really apply. Even though I can be bluntly honest at times, even I wouldn't think of giving such a thing even to someone I despised.
Merry Christmas to all Deplorables!!!
The journey of the maji by Ts Eliot expresses this perfectly
I experienced the joy and life of Christmas when I held each of my five newborns right after delivering them.
And I see that joy and life in Christmas, too. Think of Mary and Joseph and the joy and new life they experienced.
Celebrate -- Christ is born!
I’ve already noticed a few more traditional songs like ‘away in a manger’ and ‘O’Holy Night’ in stores the last few weeks. Assume it’s local managers, but one can always think/assume/hope iit’s a higher driven cause
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