One of our favorite things to do during the holiday season is to drive around and look at Christmas lights. As we drove through the neighborhood there were some amazing decorations. Our neighborhood had a contest for the best decorated house.
You could find Santa and his rain deer, the Grinch, snowmen, candy canes, but no baby Jesus. Nope, not one out of 400 homes had a Nativity Scene.
Imagine, if you will, if your family threw you a birthday party, but didn’t invite you. There’s a balloon bouquet tied to the mail box. Decorations on the door. Inside the whole house, its decorated with balloons, replete with colorful steamers, party favors, a huge happy birthday sign draped across the room and a well decorated birthday cake on the center of the dining room table. All your friends and family are there. They’re all laughing and having a great time. The presents they bought are for each other. The only thing missing is you…but they don’t seem to notice. They’re caught up in the celebration.
And so it is. Christ-mas, without Christ? Yep! We now celebrate the day, without the person that the day signified!
And that’s the problem. We want Christmas without Christ, Easter without the cross, and the home without the nuclear family. We have symbolism without substance. We want peace on earth, without the Prince of Peace. Then we wonder why so many people are depressed during the holidays. It ott not to be.
Christians, bring back the Nativity Scene! Be a witness. Show the neighborhood what Christmas is all about. If you don’t, no one else will.