A Winter Without Christmas
Pastor John Lee
The prolonged period of bitter cold is the result of power of the White Witch. All within her dominion are separated from the warm reign of Aslan, the rightful king of Narnia. In hope, the inhabitants look for the advent of Aslan. A prophecy speaks of the arrival of two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve. They mark the intervention of Aslan who will free Narnia from the cold and evil grip of the White Witch. While some wonder whether this was intended to convey the Good News of Christ, consider that Lewis, in a March 1961 letter to a young girl named Anne, acknowledged that this was ‘his way of retelling the true story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.’
With the advent of Christ, people can have a ‘happy holiday’ but can they be happy without Christ? They might be happy temporarily but not eternally. Why welcome the change of seasons with such fanfare apart from celebrating the birth of Christ? Do we welcome spring, summer or fall with traditional carols? By the way, the familiar tune with the new name of “Cold Winter in the Night” is better known as “Silent Night”. An elementary school in Wisconsin is sponsoring a winter program, formerly known as a Christmas program, with new lyrics to the old tune of “Silent Night”:
Cold in the night,
No one in sight,
Winter winds whirl and bite,
How I wish I were happy and warm,
Safe with my family out of the storm.
Businesses are also trying to placate diverse customers, removing any references to Christ in their advertisements. Even the popular Christmas tree has been renamed as a holiday tree or a union tree. A Lowe’s Improvement store in Austin, Texas displayed a bi-lingual banner promoting freshly cut ‘holiday trees’ in English and ‘Christmas trees’ in Spanish. How silly have we become? On Presidents’ Day, or Easter or Memorial Day, or Independence Day or Labor Day, Veterans’ Day or Thanksgiving, do people shop for a holiday tree?
A public library in Memphis, Tennessee ‘allowed’ a nativity scene but banned Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and the wise men. Only a shepherd boy and stable animals were accepted! After much unwanted publicity, public outcry and the intervention of a high ranking local official, the library relented and invited the family figures back.
Why is there so much avoidance of Christmas even though it is obvious to everyone that it is an official national holiday? Surprisingly, even some megachurches are canceling Christmas services, although Christmas falls on Sunday this year. Those large churches site low attendance and the lack of desire to go to church on Christmas morning. They will offer services on Christmas Eve instead. Has the secular, consumer oriented world affected Christmas that much? Is the mention of the name of Christ too much for the world? Why does the celebration of the birth of baby Jesus cause so much anxiety?
Whether Christians realize it or not, though others may call this a cultural war, it is actually a spiritual war. The enemies of God know too well that there is salvation in no other name except Jesus (Acts 4:12). The world hates Jesus because he testifies against the evil it does (John 7:7). He holds people accountable for their behavior. Could this also be why any alternative to evolution that includes a Creator is so resisted and rejected? (John 1:3-5)
God has taught us all about Christmas. God demonstrates his love for us as he gave us the best gift ever …the gift of eternal life that all can receive and experience through faith in Christ Jesus. We give precious Christmas gifts because we have been influenced by the Lord about giving. When we give to others, they see and experience our love. When God gave us His One and only Son, we see and can experience His love.
A winter without Christmas is a winter without hope. A winter with Christmas is winter with hope, joy and peace! Why not proclaim tidings of great joy, comfort and cheer to friends and loved ones? My family and I wish you a ‘Merry and blessed Christmas’. Let’s bow down and worship the One born King of the Jews!