Christmas gets some bad press these days for, especially, its commercialism. But let’s not miss the forest for the (Christmas) trees: It’s a great holiday, especially for Christians — and it’s a great way to send the Christian message to everyone else.
For starters, how could Christians not celebrate the birth of their Savior? You really have to mark that day, and the day he rose from the dead, do you not? And we do. Just try to bear in mind always the reason for the season, to use a perhaps trite but still true rhyme.
And giving gifts to one another is good way to honor Christ’s command that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us, is it not? Or, if you like, you can say it is a good way to love one another — which (next to and along with loving God) is what He said God’s message boils down to. To be sure, it would be too bad if we assumed — as is common — that the only gifts we can give are ones that can be wrapped and put under a tree. And it is too bad if our main thoughts at Christmas are what we can get rather than what we can give. It is better to focus on being the servant, even making a sacrifice.
I’ll note a third valuable feature of Christmas: We inevitably recall past Christmases and the now departed people we shared them with. That can make Christmas sadder, but it need not if we concentrate on the good memories, and it can in all events make the season celebration a richer experience. It puts our lives and human life in perspective. That longer perspective is valuable for Christian faith.
It’s a wonderful holiday and Holy Day!