We Saw "A Christmas Carol" Last Night

"No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness." (from Luke 11:33-35, ESV)

"Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it." (from A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens)

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." (John 3:19-21, ESV)

What a great play. What an amazing Christmas story. Dickens had his theology on straight in telling this tale of redemption and repentance. If literature apart from Holy Scripture can be inspired, this is surely as fine an example as I know of one being.

Ah, but there is so much of God and so much of humanity wrapped up in one small little book. And so much truth. Speaking of myself first, in the telling of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, I can see clearly that there still remains so much of old Scrooge in so many of us that badly needs redeeming and repenting. So much of him in me.

This says it all

Darkness Overcome

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being  in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

So what exactly do these first five verses of John 1 have to do with anything?

Everything?

As We Come Closer

It is almost Christmas. We are in a recession. There is anxiety in the air. There is speculation as to whether the nation's economy is on the upswing or not. There is politics galore. Cable news fans the flames of all things controversial.

"But in the air, there's a feeling of Christmas..." croons the disembodied radio voice, complete with silver bells. Ringing. "Soon it will be Christmas day." Ironic.

Ironic, because while it will soon be Christmas, why it's Christmas is seemingly being pushed further and further into the background. Toys. Gadgets. Happy Holidays. Winter break. Jewelry. Travel plans. Wardrobes. Lights. Trees. Santa Claus is coming to town. Parades. Decorations. Spending. Frenzied shopping. Manic depression. Manic joy. Candy Canes. Dessert. Reindeer. Snowmen. Salvation Army. Loneliness. Family events. Memories. Hopes. Dreams. Generations. It goes on and on.

Umm... is it ok if I mention this one guy named "Jesus?" Christmas is the day some people still remember as being his birthday. Christmas is the one day when "Peace on Earth" might be something a little more than just a nice Hallmark moment printed on a sentimental holiday card. Christmas and Jesus go hand in hand. Christmas and "God with us" becomes a fulfilled promise and a need met. Christmas is not a winter holiday, a happy holiday or season's greetings occasion, with no other meaning than Seinfeld's hilarious "Festivus" farce.

Christmas and Jesus. Peace on earth, goodwill toward men and women with whom God is pleased. You will find him and Christmas peace, wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.