PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE: “Christmas: Taking the Scandal of the God-man as seriously as it deserves to be taken!”
By: Ron Woodrum
Frederick Buechner writes, “The Incarnation is a kind of vast joke whereby the Creator of the ends of the earth comes among us in diapers…Until we too have taken the idea of the God-man seriously enough to be scandalized by it, we have not taken it as seriously as it demands to be taken”. Even though much of the world celebrates Christmas in the traditional way, the real meaning is still not taken as seriously as God intended it to be. Someone has made that very apparent in their updated version of the Night Before Christmas-New Millenial Style. They have written:
“Twas the night before Christmas and all through the town,
Not a sign of Baby Jesus was anywhere to be found.
The people were all busy with Christmas time chores,
Like decorating, and baking, and shopping in stores.
No one sang, ‘Away in a manger, no crib for a bed’,
instead they sang of Santa, all dressed up in bright Red.
Mama watched Martha Stewart reruns; Papa drank beer from a tap,
As hour upon hour the presents they’d wrap.
When what from the TV suddenly caught their ears?
‘Cept an ad which told a big sale at Sears.
So away to the mall they all flew like a flash…
Buying things on credit…and others with cash.
As they made their way home from the trip to the mall,
Did they once think about Jesus? Oh no, not at all!
Their lives were so busy with their Christmas time things,
No time to remember Christ Jesus, the King.
There were presents to wrap, and cookies to bake,
How could they stop to remember the one who died for their sake?
To pray to the Saviour…they had no time to stop,
Because they needed more time, ‘to shop til they dropped!’
On Wal Mart! On Best Buy! On Target! On Penney’s!
On Halmark! On Sears! A Quick bite at Denny’s
From the big stores downtown, to the stores in the mall,
They would dash away, dash away, and visit them all!
Upon on the roof, there arose such a clatter,
As Grandpa hung icicle lights with his brand new step ladder.
He hung lights that would flash. He hung lights that would twirl.
Yet he never once talked of Jesus…the Light of the World.
Christ’s eyes…how they twinkle! His Spirit how Merry!
Christ’s love…how enormous…All our sins He would carry!
So instead of being busy, overworked, and uptight,
Let’s put Christ back in Christmas, and enjoy some good nights!”
Merry Christmas.
Let me end with a more serious poem by an Pastor-Theologian of the 1800’s. George MacDonald spoke to the seriousness of Christmas when he wrote:
That Holy Thing
“THEY all were looking for a King
To slay their foes and lift them high.
Thou cam’st a little baby thing
That made a woman cry.
Oh Son of Man, to right my lot
Naught but thy presence can avail
Yet on the road thy wheels are not
Nor on the Sea thy sails
But how or when Thou wilt not heed
But come down thine own secret stair
That thou mayest answer all my need
Yes, and every bygone prayer”.