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Verse:Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. —Matthew 5:16, KJV
Every year when I finish decorating for Christmas, I’m always enraptured by the light and beauty around me. Yet I can’t help but remember that Christmas wasn’t always like this. When I was young, strict religion took Christ out of Christmas and reduced the season to one thing only: winter—and winter constituted a harsh reality. When I turned six, believing the world was about to come to an end, my parents decided to separate us from society, ultimately landing us on a rural tract of land in Tennessee.
Isolated on the top of a steep hill, we lived without running water, electricity, or telephones. Our old wooden house had no heating apart from woodstove fires that always died out at night. By early morning, the house would be only about ten degrees warmer than the temperature outside. One night, which will always remain frozen in my memory, the temperature dropped to –10°F outside and 0°F inside. I woke up in the morning to discover that my heels were frozen solid, white, and hard like golf balls, despite sixteen blankets and four pairs of thick socks.
Looking back, I marvel because though we were Christians, we did not believe in even acknowledging Christmas. At a time when the world is most likely to think of Jesus, we refused to mention His birth. We focused on pagan origins and associations, forgetting that Christ did not leave heaven to come to heaven, but rather to a very pagan world. And He came to bring light and overcome the darkness, just as my gently winking Christmas tree always reminds me. I see such a contrast between Christmas then and Christmas now. Then, the season was isolated, lonely, and cold; now, it is beautiful, cozy, and warm. Then, in our effort to be right in every facet of our beliefs, we excluded Christ.
Now I embrace Him and rejoice in His love. Despite possible concerns about pagan origins, I want to encourage you to embrace every opportunity to bring light and hope to this world, talk about Jesus, and build warm and wonderful memories in your home. Don’t let it be that your children have little to think back on when it comes to Christmas—or religion—except frozen, harsh, or lonely memories. Instead, let their memories be of the warmth, beauty, and light of Christ’s love!
Rachel Williams-Smith