It's so hard to believe that as I am writing this, we will be celebrating Christmas in 15 days! I hope and pray that you and your families have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'm sure you are a lot like me when it comes to celebrating Christmas. I have very fond memories growing up celebrating the holiday with my family first as a boy in New Jersey then moving to New York as a 9 year old. Christmas had a double meaning for me. Being raised Catholic, I always knew it was the birth of our savior Jesus Christ but I was also raised to believe in Santa Claus...you know...that heavy set dude with the white beard who wore red, drove a sleigh that was pulled by reindeer and somehow in one night went to billions of kids homes going down the chimney and delivering gifts. I believed in Santa until about 4th grade when my world was shattered. I saw Santa smoking a cigarette and a local store and when in 4th grade during school, I blurted out to a classmate "I wish Christmas was everyday" and he said "If that were the case, your parents would be broke." I did get a lot of cool gifts as a kid and I am very grateful my parents didn't spoil my brother and sister and I. Christmas Eve we always attended Catholic Mass up until we all received Jesus in our hearts. As I grew up, I started looking at Christmas a lot differently. To me it became less about the gifts and more about the birthday of Jesus. It started to bother me how the focus was not on the birthday of Jesus but more on the other "things" the world would dwell on. Don't get me wrong, I realize that decorating your Christmas tree is fun, putting lights on your house looks amazing, singing fun Christmas songs is fun and watching Rudolf the red nosed reindeer, Frosty the snowman, the year without a Santa Claus and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a blast but seriously, the Christmas season cam be rough.
I'm going to be truthful. Earlier in this decade I struggled in my own heart with Christmas and the month of December. With a struggling marriage and frustration in my ministry at my previous church, I started to seriously hate the holiday. In 2013 after losing my pastoral position, I even purposely worked on Christmas Day. In 2015, I saw the ugly side of the holiday. I took a seasonal job at Kohl's and had to work Thanksgiving evening. I will never do that again. I watched customers fighting over flat screened TV's, pushing people out of the way and fighting with you while you are on the cash register over 35 cents. Yes! 35 cents! The same people who drive SUV's!
It is a known fact that there are more suicides in the month of December than any other month in the year. You look at peoples faces and all you see is frustration, anger and stress. Many are striving for that "Christmas Spirit" and looking for a reason to be "jolly." People spend hundreds of dollars on gifts, decorations, food and other "things." It seems that someone back in the day had a great idea that maybe just maybe if we market this holiday the right way, we can make lots and lots of money. They seemed to forget there is a Reason for the Season...Jesus...His Birthday. I also realize there are others who have it much harder than me. What about the homeless in New York City? What about the family who lost a loved one in 2018 and are trying to get through the season without that loved one? Or what about that person who may have lost a job in 2018 and are struggling financially?
Lets remember what this season is really about! It's the Birthday of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ!!
UNTIL NEXT TIME!!
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