I will admit that I am having a hard time with Christmas this year. I’m not sure why that is. There are probably a lot of reason which are too involved and whiny to delve into here. But I think the main reason has to do with being preoccupied with many other things. I think that we put too much pressure on ourselves at Christmas time. I have always loved Christmas. I usually begin listening to certain Christmas music long before the Michigan snow flies. Yet, it does bother me when retailers begin their holiday commercial blitzkrieg earlier every year. Their purpose is clear: to get us in the mood to spend by foreshadowing the coming of their idea of Christmas. Yet, what kind of Christmas do the prophets of commerce announce?
Hundreds of years before His birth, prophets of God also foreshadowed the coming of Christ. Isaiah announced “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (7:14) Through the prophets, God detailed many aspects of Messiah’s arrival with great accuracy. Yet, a baby born in poverty and relative obscurity wasn’t exactly what the faithful had hoped for in their Messiah. They wanted one who would grant them political power, prestige, and material blessings. The prophets spoke in tasteful muted tones of a Messiah who would bring peace, forgiveness, and a restored relationship with God. The Israelites longed for the bright, crass, commercial appeal of a political conqueror.
As I said, I love a good Christmas celebration draped with lights, garland, gifts, Bing Crosby and Jimmy Stewart. Yet, so much of our modern celebration and expectation of Christmas stems from Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol. Interestingly, a story meant to lead us into a deeper understanding of the season has become an unwitting accomplice to its commercialization and trivialization. Christmas simply can’t withstand the weight of our expectations leading, often, to depression and disillusionment.
Our celebration of Christmas can be a good and joyful reminder of the Savior’s birth. Beautiful decorations, gifts, celebration, and traditions are all appropriate if kept in perspective. Yet, we need to make sure that we don’t have unrealistic expectations of Christmas based on movies, Norman Rockwell paintings, or books. The Israelites didn’t recognize the birth of their Savior because of misplaced expectations. There is no perfect Christmas, only a perfect Christ
(Based on an article I wrote for the December 13, 2009 issue of “The Lookout” magazine. Reprinted with permission)
Chris Higgins 