Christmas Presence

xmas_present

The Colorado Blue Spruce Christmas tree was trimmed with lights, ornaments, and tinsel. It was jubilantly displayed in the corner of the room, with it’s bright shining star blazing atop. A beacon of good things to come.

Children ooh’d and ahh’d as its delightful scent settled in the warm cozy home. On Christmas day, it was decked with presents and all sorts of wonderment. A tie for Dad. A sweater for Mom. And lots of toys and goodies for the kids. All of course, courtesy of Santa! Like a Norman Rockwell painting, it spurred imagination, and punctuated anticipation.

Christmas sets in motion the gears of business. Holiday jingles are a reminder of the excess created by the man-made Christmas. The credo seems to be:

“Angels we have heard on high,
Telling us go out and buy.”

Christmas should serve as a reminder to us all. The true meaning of Christmas is lost in the busyness of the season. Merry Christmas becomes just another greeting.

The essential nature of Christmas is not found from without. It is found from within. As we gaze at the manger displays, all we see is a baby with straw and two bewildered parents. If you are fortunate, perhaps some animals.

What we should see is God himself becoming one of us. He came humbly. To buy us back from the clutches of the man-made world. When we see a manger, we should also see a cross. The King of the Universe paid the ultimate sacrifice, to buy us back. We don’t want to see that. We want to see something tangible: presents under the Christmas Tree.

What God wants, is presence. He wants to be with you, as you sojourn along the path of life. Jesus will not force his way into your life. Like a friend, you must open the door of your heart and invite him in. The greatest Christmas present, is presence.