It's Beginning to Look A lot like Christmas
I was listening to the radio the other day and the song came on the radio “It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” This is a Christmas classic song that we all know and probably sing. Yet, I found myself asking what does Christmas look like? The first two verses say:
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Everywhere you go Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again With candy canes and silver lanes aglow
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Toys in every store But the prettiest sight to see, is the holly that will be On your own front door
Is this really what Christmas looks like? Maybe this is how it looked back a few years ago, but what about today? Does it look like Santa Clause? Does is it look like Christmas lights, trees and displays? Does Christmas look like “Black Friday” or “Cyber Monday”? I think the answer to this question depends on who you ask and their life perspective. So what does “It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas” mean to you?
As God has asked this question of me, I find that I can say the answer is “Jesus” but is that what I am really looking for in this season. In the busyness and chaos that this season brings, am I really seeing more of Jesus? I know this season is to celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, coming to demonstrate and reveal the love and presence of God. Yet, I must ask is this what you and I see at this season?
If I am honest with you and myself, this is not what I see. I see humanity pursuing its glory and comfort at God’s expense and amidst the lights, sounds and activities the darkness of this world. I see us seeking to comfort ourselves with the stuff of this world, instead of the gift of God. Somehow the words of John the Baptist are coming into to my ears from Matthew 3
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”[a]
Are you prepared for Jesus to come into your life and world? Our theme for Advent is “Light in our darkness.” My hope is that we during this season of Advent will see what Christmas really looks like as we focus on the reason for the season – Jesus Christ being born into our world so that you and I could be rescued from the brokenness of this world, restored to God’s identity for us and reunited with the family we were created to belong to. So let us “Journey with Jesus to be like Jesus” so that we might understand what Christmas really looks like.