Christmas is almost here; my mind swirls with a jumble of thoughts as I try to connect the calendar with my celebration of Jesus. Here are three items I’m considering:
1. When my wife and I were in a state of transition between one home and the next. Most of our belongings, including everything relating to Christmas, were safely stowed in a couple of storage containers.
We had no decorations to hang and none of our familiar trimmings to remind us of this season. True, the signals are all around us, but those are just enough removed that the approach of Christmas mostly eludes me.
2. I wrote a blog post for Christmas, titled “Linus Reminds Us What Christmas is All About.” In it, I link to a clip of Linus reading part of the Christmas story from Luke 2:8-14.
This is from the perennial Christmas special A Charlie Brown Christmas, which first aired in 1965. The show was written to counter the secularization and commercialization of Christmas.
In the intervening forty-nine years, things have eroded much further.
3. I just received an email from a friend living in a culture far different from mine. He shared that not many people celebrate Christmas where he is, but his family will, intentionally preparing their hearts to remember Jesus’ arrival on earth.
At first I felt bad for my friend. He will miss out on having the familiar trappings of Christmas around him.
But as I think about it more, I’m envious because he doesn’t have the distractions from a secularized, commercialized distortion of Christmas to contend with.
Like my friend, I need to be intentional about Christmas and remember the true meaning behind it.
Thank you, Jesus! I love you!
Celebrate Christmas in a fresh way with The Advent of Jesus. It’s a forty-day devotional that prepares our hearts to celebrate the arrival of Jesus in an engaging read. Begin your Advent journey now and gain a greater sense of wonder for the season.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.