Although in the United States our freedom of speech and of religion are such that the 'Merry Christmas battle' was one we should not have been forced to fight, it did serve a purpose. No matter which side of the battle you stood on, you were forced to think about what Christmas meant to you. Christians were given a stark reminder of what Christmas really, truly means, and we were given a wonderful opportunity to take a stand and protect that meaning.
But now that the battle seems to be cooling off somewhat, let's not allow the importance of Christmas to slip away from us. We all stood up and fought to protect Christmas - now that the threat is not as great, we can't let down our guard.
So, as I write this, I pray that you will all keep in your hearts:
~The wonder of Christmas - A holy God whose holiness and righteousness had been despised and rejected by His creation nevertheless found it in His mercy to send His Son to be their Savior!
~The mystery of Christmas - God, the Almighty Spirit who created the universe and holds it in the palm of his hand, made Himself like us: human. Frail. Flesh and bone.
~The miracle of Christmas - thousands of years of history, of war, of genealogy, of politics, were all orchestrated to create this moment.
~The power of Christmas - God ... Jehovah, YAHWEH... was living, breathing, within the body of a man. That Man took on the forces of Hell and Death and triumphed!
Let's never forget that, my friends.
It's Christmas Eve. My family is busily bundling up the last few packages that have been cached away in closets and dresser drawers and tucking them under the tree. Christmas dinner is in the early stages of creation. I'm sure that the scene at your home is similar to mine. And so, my friends, I will leave you with this quote from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra:
"May God keep you and protect you on this, and every, Christmas Eve."
May God bless you and yours for the New Year! Merry Christmas!
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