The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Sure, we aren’t even half way through September, it technically isn’t even fall yet, but I say it’s time for Christmas. Yesterday I listened to the Carpenter’s Christmas album while driving to church. I know some people like to wait until after Thanksgiving to break out the Christmas gear, but I say why wait? Or maybe I ask it rather than say it. Doesn’t matter to me, the bottom line is that it is never too early for Christmas. Last year was interesting; I was at my college apartment for Christmas. It was too expensive to fly home for only a two week break. I thought I’d get really into Christmas like I usually do, with music and movies and candy canes and stuff, but I never did. I had a Dr. Seuss’ Grinch moment when I realized that Christmas, as far as the traditional celebration parts of it weren’t the same without family around. Happily, I spent Christmas day with my friend’s family and it was great, but the weeks leading up to it weren’t as cheerfully celebratory as I had expected. Traditional Christmas is great, the music and movies and candy canes, as I mentioned, are all fine. The heart of Christmas is the observed celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and what his life represents to all of us. The History channel never fails to remind us of the pagan traditions mixed with this holiest of holidays in the Christian world, but I don’t care. Pagan or not, the tradition stands today as Christmas and for me there is a recognition of Jesus Christ. I think I will try to incorporate more reverence this year though. The Christmas season and spirit to me is all about faith, hope and charity. If you are a Glenn Beck supporter or hater you probably recognize those three topics. Or perhaps you are familiar with these three topics grouped together by the apostle Paul in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians in the New Testament. Paul gives charity top billing in this section. Charity is love, pure love, the kind of love that God the Father and Jesus Christ each have. Christmas embodies faith in something bigger and better than self, it embraces hope in mankind and overcoming physical weakness in drawing closer to God and it is fueled by love, or charity. There are many people out there who live faith, hope and charity every day of the year. There are others of us who are lucky to focus on these things at least during the Christmas season. So I say why not start the Christmas cheer three months early? Why not keep the decorations and candy canes out all year? Would it keep us acting more charitable in March and April if we did? Or would we get tired of it and not even improve ourselves in December? Would it reduce the sales numbers in late Fall so that’s why we seasonalize it? To keep it fresh every year and sell more? I guess there are some pagan traditions that have crept into the celebration that I could do without. Well, to each their own, but I will be listening to Christmas music from now until whenever, and I will enjoy it. And I hope that I can remember Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch so that I can remember the change in their lives and recognize that such changes are fully possible through faith in Jesus Christ, whose birthday we are celebrating with the holiday (or are we?). People can change of their own volition; however, I think the full, long lasting, most beneficial change for good, the true, honest change of heart comes only through the healing power of Jesus Christ. So I say Merry Christmas, even in mid-September.