This has been an awful week for the people of Newtown, Connecticut. No town and no family should have to bury its children.
After the shootings last week the town center changed abruptly. The city fathers thought it best to take down Christmas decorations because “it was no time to celebrate.”
We all certainly understand what they meant.
At the same time, I would like to add something to what they said about celebrating.
If Christmas is nothing more than a time of eating, drinking, and spending, then the decorations should be removed. But if Christmas is more than that, it is indeed time to experience again the hope of Christmas.
The first Christmas had its own sorrow as King Herod murdered the boy babies in Bethlehem under two years old. Yet, because of God and His work, we experience Christmas as a time of hope.
Christmas is all about hope. Christmas first came in a time filled with trouble. When Jesus came, taxes and unemployment were high and morals were slipping. The military controlled the people. The hearts of people were heavy. Neither Roman law, Greek philosophy, nor Jewish religion could meet the needs of the heart.
Into that context, God sent His Son!
Because we have sadness and sorrow, we need to worship Christ this Christmas. Last Thursday, I invited a recently widowed woman to join us for our Christmas Eve services. Christmas is always hard when the people you love are not with you. In times of sorrow, we obviously need God. We also need to worship God during the hard times.
In fact, it is worship that comforts our hearts and reminds us of our hope–the hope that is in Christ.
In these days, we need Christmas more than ever. We need the hope, comfort, strength, and joy that comes from knowing Christ.
Whatever your circumstances, may God bless you this Christmas as you worship Him.
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4 Responses
Well said.
Thank you.
Blessings.
Thank you for reminding me of the sorrow and tragedy suffered at the time of the first Christmas. What a victory we have in Jesus!
Waylon, Thanks for your blog on why we need Christmas more than ever. My Christmas eve, Christmas Day and the following day were spent in the hospital. We had 10 in. of snow coverning ice so Dick could not come to the hospital to see me. Even though my Christmas was not one of celebrating with loved ones, I still celebrated knowing that because Jesus came, I had so much to be thankful for: hope , joy, comfort, and all the loving care I was getting where I was. I am almost fully recovered from acute bronchitis and did get to see loved ones over New Year’s week. We are grateful for your ministry and wish you and Martha a joyous New Year!
Thank you. Glad to hear you are doing better. Enjoyed seeing you on the trip to Jerusalem.
The Golan Heights had snow yesterday with the possibility that Jerusalem will have snow showers tomorrow!