Don’t Let Christmas Carols Teach You about God
If you see me driving around town, you are bound to hear Christmas carols coming from my car. I LOVE Christmas carols and listen to them every chance I get this time of year. OK, I’ll be honest with you. I even listen to them at other times of year. There is something about the memories each carol brings that makes me smile, no matter how my day is going. Carols might make me happy, but they are a far cry from spending time with God.
Most Christmas carols have nothing to do with God or the truth of Christmas. We hear more about reindeer, sledding or even twinkling lights, but carols fall short in teaching us the truth about God’s glorious birth. Christmas is not about decorations and family fun. Christmas is about God becoming a human being to unite us with Him. Christmas is about salvation, not holiday parties. I don’t want to be a downer today, so let me get to the point.
Christmas carols express joy but they leave out what we are supposed to celebrate in the first place. Joy without a reason is nothing more than foolishness. One reason we fast for Christmas is to remind us that Christ was born TO DIE for us. When was the last time you heard that in a Christmas carol? Even the Christmas icon shows Christ in burial clothes rather than infant clothes.
A carol about death for sure wouldn’t be very happy sounding, but the death of Christ IS the reason we celebrate Christmas. The Magi welcomed our Savior into the world with myrrh for His burial, not so the room smelled nice. They gave Him gold because He was the King of Kings, not because they wanted to spend more money than someone else. They gave Him incense because He is God. He wasn’t born in a barn, but in a cave to show He would be buried in a cave. These images don’t make good upbeat carols, but they do teach the truth of Christmas.
For the next few weeks, as you enjoy Christmas carols and shopping, decorating and gift-giving, MAKE EXTRA time to spend with God in Church. Make extra time to read the Bible and learn what the CHURCH has to teach about Christmas. You don’t have to stop singing. I won’t. You just need to make extra time to remember the important part of Christmas.
God became a human being, to die for all human beings, so that all human beings could be united with God. It isn’t a great carol, but it is the greatest truth.
