Up Late

What magic it was. A morning like no other in the year. Birthday’s really didn’t come close even. Maybe it was that the whole world seem to hype that day above the others. Every night there were special shows like Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special. The air was crisp (sometimes) in S.E. Texas, bells were ringing, carols playing in stores and on the radio. It was electric. Even the fake store Santa’s were exciting to see playing their part in making that one morning a special event to make the year of anticipation worth it.


Sure being raised in church mostly there was the birth of Jesus story talked about and evident in the little manger scene (whatever a manger was) on the table under the lamp. It was fun to play with the figures and maybe add an army man or two until they were discovered. Jesus could use some backup right, they did try to kill him so maybe a green plastic guy with a cool flame thrower could even the odds a bit. But Jesus to a 4 year old was really just a part of the decoration and far from the real deal of this amazing time.

The Christmas experience then was a very different thing than I found at forty something. This year was especially different for many reasons. One of which I find has solidified into a sentence or two. Beginning as just thoughts to myself really and becoming a desire to change my actual “celebration” of Christmas next year.

I am not Catholic and although I haven’t done in depth research into the origins I’m pretty sure Christmas was once the special Mass called Christ Mass celebrated to recognize the birth day of Jesus. Non Catholic Christians have taken this holiday almost as if they invented it. Coming up with cool sayings like “Jesus is the Reason for the season” Well… that has always bothered me on several layers. This year it just came to clarity like never before. For one, we don’t “celebrate mass” Christ mass or any other. And if I read it right. Jesus is more than a seasonal Jesus. And a reason to celebrate every day of life.
'For in him we live and move and have our being.' Acts 17:28.

A baby in a manger didn’t save the world. A God-man coming out of a grave did.

No I haven't turned green and tied an antler on my puppy. No I don’t want to stop celebrating Christmas, but I’m not going to act like my religion invented it or that it is any more important to celebrate Jesus on that day than any other. Christmas is a time to enjoy as a family if you have them. It is a time to help others sure but should be used to remind us that there are 364 other days in the year that people need help as well.