However,while sitting with my sister watching Hallmark Christmas movies and enjoying my first day of doing nothing this Christmas break, I stop and think about the true meaning of Christmas. It isn't about who has the most lights like "Battle of the Bulbs", the Hallmark movie we're now watching, or like the competition on the Jim Carey version of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I love watching movies like The Grinch, Elf, The Santa Clause,Charlie Brown Christmas, and especially White Christmas. All of these are some of my favorite Christmas movies, however none of them show what Christmas is truly about. The Grinch movie tries, when they talk about loving those around you no matter what they look like, and coming together, but it doesn't really get close to the whole idea of Jesus being our savior. The Christmas message is briefly mentioned in the Charlie Brown Christmas, so I like that, but that movie also stresses having a perfect tree, having presents, etc. Talk about stressing about getting the perfect tree - think National Lampoon's Christmas vacation "Honey this tree won't even fit in the backyard... it's not going in the backyard it's going in the living room!" As it bursts through their windows and ceiling. Their is also a cliche competition about who has the better lights in that movie as well, despite the fact that it's hilarious, it doesn't promote the true meaning of Christmas. The truth is, Christmas has been commercialized. The Grinch actually captures this point quite well with this quote "The Grinch: That's what it's all about right? That's what it's always been about! Gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts! Do you know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me...in your garbage. Do you see what I'm saying here? IN YOUR GARBAGE! I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I found at the dump! And the avarice...[points to mayor] The avarice never ends! "I want golf clubs!" "I want diamonds!" "I want a pony so I can ride it twice, get bored, and send it away to make glue!" Look, I don't wanna make waves here, but this WHOLE Christmas season is STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!" The Grinch is trying to point out to the town of Whoville just how obsessed they have become with gifts as well. Even when Cindy Lou Who is asking the Grinch what Christmas is all about he responds "The Grinch: VENGEANCE! I mean... presents... I suppose."
Other movies I remembered when I was little about Christmas include Precious Moments: Timmy's Gift and Timmy's Special Delivery, oh how I loved watching them!
So, the whole point with this post is to encourage all of you, myself including to remember the true reason for Christmas, Christ being our savior, and coming to earth as a lowly human to live and die for our sins. Here are some verses to remind us of that.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Matthew 1:22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).
So, take this into considering, Christmas isn't about the presents, who has the most lights, or watching holiday movies, but instead about the baby boy that was born in a lowly stable on a cold winter night, let us all remember that and the fact that Jesus is indeed, the Reason for the Season.
-Merry Christmas Everyone! :)
