The reason for the season...

Every year we try really hard to do this season right. We are told time and time again that we can't forget the reason for the season. BUT...I contend that Jesus is not the reason for the season, we are. The whole reason we have this season, other then the fundamental reason that Constantine wanted to redeem the pagan solstice holiday, is to celebrate that the ALMIGHTY came down for us. We are the reason, we always have been and we always will be....Jesus came for us. I know...it makes it all pretty self-centered and it sounds wrong BUT...think about it. Unto you is born this day.....Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men.

In Zechariah's song...because of the tender mercies of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on the darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide OUR feet into the path of peace. Jesus did not come on a holiday trip for His benefit, He came for us...We are the reason for this season.

It is odd to think this way but what it does for me is changes my perspective. If this was all for us...why not celebrate! The solstice holiday that we redeemed was a season of hope. IT is dark, but it will get lighter. IT is cold, it will get warmer. It is gloomy but it will end. Bring in the evergreen to remind us that seasons come and go...light the candles, have a party...get us through these dark days. We knew even in our paganism that we needed to celebrate in the dark to remind us about the light. Constantine was brilliant in changing what was hollow into what we now claim as our holy day. It has only been our holy day for a few hundred years...It wasn't ours to begin with...none of what makes up Christmas is our to begin with. We borrowed a lot to make this rowdy time of old redeemable. I think it is a great idea, Christmas isn't biblical in that it was a holiday we were to celebrate...we created this time because we needed this time to hope. In the dark of the season, in the cold of the night we needed a light to guide us through. A star...angels...donkeys and pregnant mothers... young and old, rich and poor , the best story ever to bring us light in our dark places. It is about us, always has been. Isn't that the most amazing gift ever!