Christmas: Not The Time To Be Sad or Mad.

It has become a commonplace reminder from psychologists that Christmas is a depressing holiday for a lot of people. Because we are caught up in the nostalgic sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas, they remind us of Christmases past, and of people who either are or are not with us. These memories can trigger bitter feelings, if the memories are of bad events; or grief, if the memories are grievous.

This, however, reflects a mistake -- the (understandable) idea that Christmas is about us and our family. But it is not; Christmas isn't about my family. It isn't even about "family", in some abstract sense. It was about an eternal Member of the Godhead-family, coming to earth to save us.

But it takes concentration of mind and faith to zero in on the Biblical testimony to Christ, and, in that way, decidedly for one's self, make the day be about Jesus Christ. Surrounded by gingerbread baking, lights twinkling, gift shopping, and Andy Williams on the radio, Christmas might require a strong mental effort on some of our parts to fill our souls with the truth of the Incarnation. So the old motto "Remember to Keep Christ in Christmas" still carries some value!

This is why it is not a day to be sad or mad. Our own circumstances, past or present, might very well make us feel those emotions. But Christmas is not about those circumstances. The "meaning" of Christmas is real, and historical, and God-given, and unchanging. It is a cause for celebration, even for the sad and mad. It is a warning and a call to the defiant non-believer, and encouragement to the discouraged and beaten-down believer.

Christmas is what it is, and we should thank God for that!