We live in a small apartment complex and below us is a row of townhouses. At this time of the year it is fascinating to watch day by day as the Christmas lights come on, both in and outside of home after home. Some of the displays are fantastic!
All this set me to thinking how appropriate it is that lights galore are a symbol of our Christmas celebrations. That’s how it started back in Bethlehem when the angel appeared to the shepherds. A pitch-black night, then suddenly a blinding light: Wow! No wonder they were afraid!
All this is something to celebrate, is it not? For almost 2,000 years already Christians have celebrated the Saviour’s birth and have spread around the world His good news of forgiveness, redemption, life everlasting and the promise of His coming again.
May neither the glorious light of the first Christmas night ever be dimmed, nor its good news of great joy ever be muted. Every holiday has its reason for celebration. I’m sorry, but “Happy Holiday” just doesn’t cut it.
Thankfully, in our fair city, political correctness has not yet co-opted the season. We still have Christmas trees, and the strains of “Silent Night” and “Hark the Heralds Angels Sing”are still heard from our homes and in our streets. May it ever be so.
Let it be clear that is not our immigrant friends of other faiths who take exception to our celebration of Christmas, nor is it the vast majority of ordinary Canadians, who still consider themselves Christians.
No, it is a certain group of intellectual and political elites, secularists all, who seem determined to remove from our culture any public celebration of our Christian heritage. May they never succeed.
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
Bert Warden