How amazing that it is only 14 more days until Christmas Day 2006. I have not even set up one decoration yet in my house. Traditionally though, I have waited until the week before Christmas to set up the season of Christmas and then I tend to let it last all the way through the New Year.
In my Lutheran upbringing, Christmas began with the 1st Sunday of Advent. The calendar came out, the candles were lit, the devotionals read, and there was the constant reminder that Jesus, the Christ, had come to earth to save mankind from sin. It was God's free, loving gift to send His son to an unsuspecting world. Yet, the world, at that time could not make room for him. He was left to be born in a stable, pushed out into the cold, amongst the animals and the hay. I find it amazing the parallels between that day, 2000+ years ago, and now. Today, the world still wants to push this day, this Season out the door into the stable outside. I had a friend contact me the other day who works in Philadelphia in a retail mall. She said that people were complaining about the Christmas carols. Amazing... Christmas carols? complaining? America?? What is the problem with Christmas? Is it because it has the word "CHRIST" in the name?
Jesus Christ came out of love to the world... He came humbly. He came without pomp and circumstance. He came without demanding a limo, a top floor penthouse suite, without the best of the best, the finest dinnerware, the best of the wines, the richest of clothes... yet, the world tends to push Him out in the cold. Why?? What did He do? He simply gave His life in our place. He simply chose to give love instead of hatred. He simply chose to quietly endure a beating of a lifetime and be nailed to a cross... why?? so the world can continue to hate Him??
Christmas is about celebrating Jesus' birthday!! It is His birthday!! We celebrate it in so many ways... yet it is about the ultimate gift. The God of all Creation choosing to provide a way back unto Himself... by sending His Son, so we might all live in eternity with Him in total relationship. You don't have to earn it. You don't have to become something you're not. You don't even have to realize your dreams. You simply have to see Him for what He is... He is the most humblest, King of Kings! He is all about loving each other. He is all about restoring the broken hearted. He is all about the God of second chances. He is all about renewing hearts and reconciling a world unto His Father... so why all the hoopla about His birthday?? Is it so offensive that a man so great and so kind and so wonderful would do such a great thing for us? Is it so offensive that He would love every single man, woman and child? Is it so offensive that He is no respecter of persons?
I tell you what... I am playing the Christmas carols very loud in my house this year. I am setting up a wonderful display in celebration of my dear friend, Jesus Christ's, birthday! Yes, He is my friend... and He can be your friend too... that is if you want Him to be. Even if you don't want Him to be, He's still there for you. Why, because He loves you inspite of yourself.
I can't wait for Christmas this year... I can't wait to bake Him the biggest cake and sing Him Happy Birthday! I am so thankful He chose to love me that much. I am so thankful that He chose to come and endure being pushed out by the world, endure being beaten up and nailed to a cross... I am so glad that He chose to rise again to bring my life into a greater realm. I know that I know I am connected to my Creator in Christ.
It is why I feel so strongly about honoring the sacred places of your heart... why??? because HE DOES!!
Time to get out the decorations... time to get the house clean... time to write another verse to my new Christmas song... to my humble, King of Kings... who leads me ever closer to what real love means.
with love,
RamyB
2 comments:
I found your link on Renny's blog and became curious because of "advent". And I see you celebrate it too. But then you talked about "Christmas Carols" and I can understand that people are fat up hearing it in a shopping mall. It's just a noisy background. Nobody listens anyway. Christmas carols are nice to hear at home when you are relax or doing something nice but playing "silent night, holy night" and hearing at the same time "the toilet paper is 10 % off today" is not nice at all ! I also love to decorate our house and we always have celebrated very much Christmas. But, it is something which has not its place in commercial places, where it's only used to get people to buy !
Gattina,
Thank you for coming and reading. I don't agree with you that no one listens to the music. I listen. As a lyricist and a musician, I listen to all music in the stores, no matter what is playing. I listen to Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, Tony Bennett, Bette Midler, and many other artists as they sing their songs, whether they are of Christmas or of some other tune.
Playing Christmas music is not played by grocery stores to get you to buy groceries. If it were, it would be singing, "go over to Isle 10 where we're having a blue light special on Kroger donuts."
Playing music is stores is basically "airplay" for the artists who've recorded the music and sales for the record companies who have produced the records. But timeless licensed productions (such as Bing Crosby's White Christmas) that end up being played in places such as grocery stores and malls, just pay royalties to the songwriters who have written the songs and performing royalties to the artists who recorded the songs.
Christmas music for me is something that I enjoy no matter where it is. I don't like life without music. Because I am an artist and a musician, so I am partial. For me, life is boring without music, so it is not a noisy background to me. It actually helps me drown out the ugly chatter that I hear from time to time in the isles of the mall, such as who is sleeping with who, or the teens who can't find an English word in their mouths, but would rather use an explicative every other word to describe their lives. Or the angry husband who is yelling at his wife, or the parents who are too tired and are yelling at their children and the children who are back talking their parents, etc. Music covers a lot of that noise for me. I can tune into the music and tune out the verbage.
In the United States, we have a 1st Amendment right to free speech... that includes the free expression of the arts in whatever place that should be, including the marketplace. So... according to our constitution... Christmas music does have a place in the market place, as much as rap music, or reggae music or jazz music, or country music, or alternative music. The shop owner has the right to play what he wants (for the most part as long as it is not obscene).
So... anyway. I think that Christmas music is just part of the season and for those who are so against it, let them stay home and keep their anti-season spirits away from the festivities. Advent... and Christmas come but once a year. For four weeks, I think that people can adjust their lives. For to get rid of the music, is to get rid of the season and pretty soon... there will be nothing sacred left that people cannot ban including "people" themselves.
Again... thank you for coming and reading and sharing your thoughts.
RamyB
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