Each year in December we hear “Keep Christ in Christmas.” With statues of Santa kneeling at the manger or holding a baby wrapped in a blanket, “Keep Christ in Christmas” has become a big retail market!
There’s a better way to imagine what it really means to “Keep Christ in Christmas.” Speaker, author, consultant, and Coach Steve Maraboli puts it this way:
“Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
That takes more preparation, planning, and purpose than it takes to buy a Santa statue. My prayer during the season of Advent is that we find ways to keep Christ in our Christmas celebrations: behaving Christ-like as we shop, party, and celebrate. My hope is that we would be truly generous givers, as you find ways to give those gifts that Steve Maraboli lists, and also that we be generous with our time to actually do the things Steve Maraboli lists. But be careful about this. You could end up keeping Christ in Christmas all year long!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Carolyn