The war on Christmas..

I had posted my last Pre-Christmas post the other day.

It was short, sweet and to the point.

Today I read this by Glenn Beck,

 and wished to have it be a part of my journal
to remind me

 of what some of the people in our world were like
in

December 23, 2011

*

It’s hard to believe that we are only a few days away from Christmas. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s starting to become unrecognizable. As I spent my last few days in New York City I saw the streets lined with shoppers at all hours of the day. A few weeks ago I saw people fighting over waffle makers and toasters. It seems like people are more focused on “me” and “mine” rather than on the true meaning of the season.

Whether or not you believe there is a “War on Christmas”, you can’t deny that the real meaning of December 25th is being forgotten. Atheist billboards are replacing nativity scenes and our President is lighting a Menorah as just an excuse for a “good party”. I’m sorry, but if you’re lighting a candle just because it's that time of year then you are missing the point – that miracles can happen and that God is here to light the way in the darkness.

If you are celebrating next to a “Holiday Tree” and all you care about is shopping and presents then you are missing the trans formative nature of Christmas. It’s an idea that is repeated in every story this time of year from A Christmas Carol to Miracle on 34th Street – the idea that we can believe in powers greater than ourselves and we can be fundamentally transformed. The themes of redemption, selflessness and transformation go all the way back to The Bible with the birth of a baby in a manger in Bethlehem.

With our obsession over “stuff” we are missing out on the good things in life – the gifts that don’t need to be wrapped. It’s not about waffle makers or toasters, the true power and meaning of Christmas is about doing the right thing and helping each other. And it’s not supposed to be contained to a two-week season and then forgotten. We are supposed to take these gifts with us throughout the whole year.

I hope you spend the next few days with your family and friends and celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. I hope you reach out to others in need and offer a helping hand, and I hope you get to celebrate the season free from oppression, judgment, or “Holiday Trees”. And finally, I hope you find the trans formative power of this miraculous season.

Laos Deo,

Glenn Beck
My thoughts: Though there are people in the world
 declaring war on my beliefs
and what I hold sacred in my heart, life still has miracles
 and generosity if you look around.
This year my niece Lyndsey went to pick up her layaway at Walmart.
 The clerk said she owed
71 cents. "How can that be she thought,
as she knew she owed hundreds of dollars".
The clerk went on to say someone had come in and paid the balances
 of 5 lay aways, hers was one of them.
Money was tight this year for my niece. What
a wonderful, heartfelt surprise.
*

I'm grateful for reminders like this that the Christmas Spirit is very much alive
and that the Saviors way is the only way to win the war on Christmas.