Where Is Christmas - Where Has It Gone

WHERE IS CHRISTMAS????? WHERE HAS IT GONE?????
Posted 12/21/2010 1:00 PM PST on thecalifornian.com




My wife and I are amazed and shocked at the almost total denial of Christmas this year. At one time Salinas was decorated for Christmas, it was bright and cheerful. We would walk into small stores and department stores and there would be Christmas music playing, decorative ornaments put up everywhere and the words Merry Christmas. At the checkout stands the checkers would always say Merry Christmas, not the generic tripe they say today, happy holidays; what holiday? I remember music wafting into the streets like :

White Christmas
Winter Wonderland
The First Noel
Silent Night
Silver Bells
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
O Christmas Tree
Little Drummer Boy
Let It Snow
Joy To The World
Jingle Bells
It’s A Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Have Yourself A Very Merry Christmas
Christmas In My Hometown
A Holly Jolly Christmas - or -
Away In A Manger

What do you hear now? What do you see around town and in the stores now? How are you greeted by checkers when they take your money? What about those of you working in government offices, are you allowed to say “Merry Christmas” to people? Are you ordered not to in some kind of memorandum of understanding so as not to offend someone? Offend who? What about the Lord Jesus Christ, it’s OK to offend Him, to ignore Him, to turn your back on Him as though He doesn’t matter? To be indifferent to Him? Offend who???????

People have become totally indifferent to Christmas, what it means, the birth of Christ. Little by little our interest in Jesus is going by the wayside and we ignore this blessed event, Christmas and its significance in our lives. Christmas is an event to celebrate the birth of Jesus, now it’s about everything but, no one is interested. We use to see manger scenes out in public places, yes even on government property; do you see it now? What is so terrifying about the birth of Jesus?

There are people in this country who would completely do away with Christmas. They have talked store owners into not saying “Merry Christmas” to their customers, I don’t let them get away with it. Store owners are happy to take your money at Christmas but wont acknowledge Christmas. A government worker told me they are just grouping Christmas in with Thanksgiving and other holidays and simply saying happy holidays, giving Christmas no special significance. Extend this indifference into the near future and our children won’t even know what Christmas is, what it means other then a time to get a gift or give one. When I was in grade school we had Christmas plays, the three wise men around the manger, the shepherds, Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus, I was in such a scene, we sang Christmas Carols. Is that done today?????

What is there about Christmas that is so frightening? What is there about the name of Jesus Christ that is so terrifying? The Son of God, the Savior of all mankind, Jesus Christ and He is being shunned? Instead of celebrating His birth He is ignored? Instead of honoring Him as King he is being publicly humiliated? Instead of honoring the Son of the Living God He is being spurned and rejected? Surely King Herod would be pleased.

When was the last time you actually worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ?

Salinas had the holiday parade of lights, not the Christmas Parade of Lights, I looked at pictures of the parade and saw one sign that had the word Christmas on it. I called the Salinas Mayor’s office to speak with him, he wasn’t there and a very nice lady answered, she actually cared about what I was saying and listened intently. I called the Salinas Chamber of Commerce, I also called the Old Town Salinas Association. The ladies I spoke with were very nice and understanding of what I was saying and suggested that a letter should be written and submitted. Well here’s my letter for anyone who will take a few minutes to read it and follow-up with letters and action of their own.

So where is the Spirit of God in our lives? The Spirit of obedience to Him? Where is the awareness of the fact of how good and gracious an kind He is to us everyday? Where is the acknowledgement that He is the Son of God and Christmas is all about Him?

Gordon Avery
December 21, 2010