Dwight Watt Internet Article #78


#78 Was Christmas a success? 1/4/2002

#78 Was Christmas a success?

Was this Christmas successful? What do we mean by it being successful? The news media has been reporting conflicting stories on rather successful. Some say yes, some say no. Is that all there is to Christmas to judge it a success is by the sales compared to the previous year? Is that all Christmas is, a chance for retailers to make their biggest dollar, or whatever currency, sales of the year?

Christmas is made up of lots of symbols. Symbols that we represent Christmas with include the Christmas tree, Santa Claus, presents, manager scenes, lights, and music. The Bible tells us in the Old Testament not to worship symbols of metal that we might make of idols. Are we crossing that line? Are we worshiping the manager scene or the music or the presents? Or are these just symbols that should remind us of the season. Some people have a hard time separating icons and idols. Is the tree Christmas, or is it a symbol of Christmas to remind us that Jesus brought us everlasting life. Does the music inspire us to a closer relationship with God or is it just a reminder to spend more? The presents are meant to represent God giving his Son, but do we get more concerned with what we are getting? The same goes with Santa Claus. Are we teaching our children to come up with a list of demands and expectations or are we teaching them that the real story to learn behind Santa Claus is the giving that he does to children?

Is Christmas a secular or religious holiday? Is it a chance to celebrate Jesus' birth and God giving his son to us? Is it just a day off work and a day that we look forward to as business people to sale more stuff? Depending on where you answer defines it as religious or secular. How does it fit in with other holidays celebrated at the same time including Kwanzaa, Hanukah and Ramadan? Is this a religious season or just a a secular holiday? Hanukah are religious holy days for Jews. Ramadan is religious holy days for Moslems. Kwanzaa is a secular holiday for a specific race. Do they fit together?

Is this really a secular holiday today? Is it really just a winter holiday? Religion is so often not there anymore. Now look back and decide was Christmas 2001 a successful Christmas? How did you decide now? Is the media right in saying that Christmas can be judged only on dollars? Or is it much more? A chance to remember hat God did for us 2000 years ago in sending his Son to earth to ultimately die for our sins and to offer us everlasting life. I hope that this is Christmas was a successful Christmas for you and that you moved closer to God in some way.

Dwight




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