CHRISTMAS IS MORE THAN A HOLIDAY
Taking a Closer Look at the
Tradition
By Bill Ellis
 SCOTT DEPOT, WV (ANS) -- I
have always thought of the “holidays” as being those days just before
Thanksgiving and lasting until the New Year. In the midst of this
exciting time with special expressions of gratitude and love, family
dinners, football games, music, drama, giving and receiving gifts,
there is Christmas that is always more than just another holiday. It is
the anchor for all the other days of the year. Without Christmas the
remaining days would have little meaning. The hopes and fears of all
the years find their strength in the message of Christmas.
This year, more than any previous year,
there seems to be a concerted effort to deprive Christmas of its finest
and most noble expressions. Christmas is the celebration of the birth
of Jesus Christ whose mother, a virgin named Mary, was married to
Joseph.
After the angel appeared to Joseph with a message of assurance from
God, “He brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin
until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25,
NLT). After Jesus was born, wise men from the east “ . . . came to
Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the
Jews?’ ” (Matthew 2:1-2 NIV).
King Herod was so angry that a new king had been born that he
immediately began to “ . . . search for the child to kill him” (Matthew
2:13, NIV). Herod died, but Jesus lives and reigns eternally over the
greatest kingdom ever known to man. This wicked king still has a lot of
kinfolk, who are just as foolish, who think they can somehow destroy
the Messiah. Nations and civilizations will rise and fall on the basis
of what they do about Jesus, the Christ who can never be eradicated
from Christmas.
The Christ Mass, the celebration of the world’s only Savior, is here to
stay. It may be accepted or rejected, but it can never be erased from
the hearts and minds of men. I doubt that there is a merchant or
business of any kind that would honestly favor eliminating Christmas
from American or world commerce. In countries where people do not have
religious freedom, they manufacture and export the products that will
be sold in America and other nations during the Christmas holidays.
It just might be a good idea to bring a halt to all the commercial
aspects of Christmas. Do away with all the toys, candy, clothes,
decorations, CDs, videos, television specials, sales and promotion,
buying gifts, parties and celebrations. Move all the commercial aspects
of Christmas to Ground Hog Day or to April Fools Day. I do not,
however, think that would fly or as they say in hunting country, “that
dog won’t hunt.”
“Noting that presidential orders and proclamations from Congress have
designated Christmas as a national holiday in religious terms since
1789”, the great Chief Justice Warren Earl Burger wrote: “There is an
unbroken history of official acknowledgments by all three branches of
government of the role of religion in American life . . . . The
Constitution does not require a complete separation of church and
state. It affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance,
of all religions and forbids hostility towards any” (AMERICA'S GOD AND
COUNTRY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF QUOTATIONS, William J. Federer, FAME
Publishing).
Jackie Mason, internationally known Jewish comedian, said, “Christmas
is all about love and brotherhood.” The scholarly, D. James Kennedy,
wraps it in simple language, “God is love and that is what Christmas is
all about.”
Christmas is more than just a holiday. For you and all those whom you
love, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
Bill
Ellis is a syndicated
columnist, and convention and conference speaker on every continent. He
is the writer of more than 1600 columns and widely known as a motivator
utilizing enjoyment of life and just plain fun and laughter while
speaking to high school, university and professional sports teams as
well as to business and professional groups of all kinds. His keen
understanding of human problems make him a favorite speaker for youth,
parent, and senior adult meetings. He is accompanied by Kitty, his
wife, favorite singer, editor and publisher.
For information on becoming a subscriber to the Ellis Column for your
newspaper or magazine, you may contact him at: BILL ELLIS, P.O.Box 345,
Scott Depot, WV 25560 or by calling: 304-757-6089. |
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