This
year, the politically correct gestures of seasonal salutation (Happy Holidays,
Season’s Greetings, etc.), which for too long have served as substitutes for
the real thing, have become vacuous, stale and boring. This year, somehow, they
seem especially inadequate to express the sentiment we so desperately need to
hear at this moment in time.
In
the last few years, I have sensed a desire on the part of many to return to the
traditional greeting, "Merry Christmas." This year, anything else
seems especially hollow.
We
watch with horror, depression, anger or detachment as events unfold in Newtown,
Connecticut, Washington, DC, the Middle East, or elsewhere in our fallen world.
We listen to politicians offering to place Band-Aids on the open arteries of
our national psyche, and we think, this
can’t be the answer!
For
two thousand years, we have looked everywhere but a manger in Bethlehem.
Jesus
Christ was born in the humblest of settings to become the Savior of all. This
was by design, for at the time of His birth, even King Herod’s men did not
think to look in a stable for a king. Kings are born in palaces, among opulence
and luxury. Jesus did not fit the template.
For
two thousand years, the human race has continued to look for something more,
something flashier, something more glorious, something greater. For those of us
who passionately believe in the story of the Nativity, it is a clear reminder
of why our faith is a life to be lived in the Spirit of the Living God. What
could be greater than that?
That
is the difference between Christianity and every other religion in the world.
Scripture tells us what Christ had to say about Himself. He said, “I am the
way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” If that is
not true, then He was either a liar or a lunatic, and no one believes that. In
fact, virtually every other faith speaks of Jesus Christ as a wise prophet, a
great teacher, or a good man, and other religions are willing to acknowledge
that following Jesus is one of the ways to heaven. But Christ says He is the only way to heaven. No wonder He was
crucified.
Christianity
also is unique in that it proclaims that its central figure is still alive.
Hindus think their leaders have been reincarnated. Buddha and his followers are
thought to be part of some vast cosmos of energy. Mohammed, fiercely and
violently defended though he may be, is still dead — and adherents to Islam
know it. Even the bodies of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have long ago turned to
dust. Jesus Christ alone is believed by his followers to be physically alive,
despite having faced the worst death imaginable.
Far
too many in our society reject the simple gospel presented by Christ and his
disciples in favor of alternative religions that teach vague notions of piety
through good works. The social gospel of using government to create an earthly
utopia will disappoint us every time. False prophets and self-serving
politicians have always been at the forefront of man’s disenchantment. They
offer hope but dispense hopelessness. They promise freedom but deliver bondage
— to an ideology, an idol or a doctrine. There is only one infallible answer.
Discontented seekers of new age solutions to age-old problems need only look to
the truth of the Christmas story.
This
week, as we celebrate the miracle birth of a baby who would grow up to be both
man and God, who would lay down His life as a sacrifice for the sins of those
who would believe, we also should remember that He is still with us. Like
Christmas itself, the reality of Christ persists and grows stronger. He was
born, lived, died, and rose again. He ascended into heaven to sit at the right
hand of His Father, to make intercession for us, and He sent His Holy Spirit to
live within those who would receive Him. What a story! To hundreds of millions
of us, it is still the only one that makes sense, and He is our only source of
true hope and of a truly Merry Christmas.
______________________________________________________________________________
© 2012
by Doug Patton
_____________________________________________________________________
Doug
Patton describes himself as a recovering political speechwriter who agrees with
himself more often than not. His weekly columns are syndicated by Cagle
Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Readers are encouraged to email him at dpatton@cagle.com and/or to follow him on Twitter at @Doug_Patton. For info on using Doug’s columns at your
publication or website, please email Cari Dawson Bartley at cari@cagle.com.
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