November 19, 2015 Ponder
I have been thinking about what my life experience would be without Christmas. It is a little overwhelming for me to consider how impacted I am by this annual celebration.
The lights and decorations combine with music throughout the malls in a way that lifts my spirits. Memories of childhood Christmas programs surface when certain songs or displays are heard or seen.
There is a sense of caring that is more evident during the days leading up to Christmas. Stories make the news about someone in line at the store paying the tab when the person ahead of them did not have sufficient funds. Whether or not we toss coins into the little red kettles, it is difficult to see them without considering the reality of people in need.
Television stations team with helping agencies to collect gifts that are made available to families facing financial challenges. International organizations sponsor projects where funds provide for anything from chickens to clean water for communities with limited resources. Charitable attitudes are more evident around Christmas than perhaps any other time of the year.
Christmas is filled with memories from the past of family and friends gathered to celebrate. It gives a reason to connect, sing, visit, give gifts and enjoy foods that are reserved for Christmas gatherings. Children build memories that remain with them throughout their life. Adults are the product of these influential events of earlier years.
But with all of this valuable influence, it is obvious that there would be no reason for Christmas without the coming of Savior Jesus into our world to provide a way for each of us to be reconnected to Creator God. The relationship that was broken when the first humans, Adam and Eve, turned against God to follow their own desires can be repaired only through what Jesus did when He entered our world to die in our place and live again as our eternal security.
Life without Savior Jesus is an eternity without hope. If we do not know Him, we can go through all the motions of Christmas and enjoy the benefits. We can even bring a lot of cheer into the lives of family and friends. But when the celebration is over, there will be a void in our life because we missed the point of it all. It would be like having a birthday party for someone but failing to include them at the celebration. As ridiculous as that sounds, that is the reality of Christmas without Jesus.
Pastor Bill Ehmann