Merry Christmas p.s.

Merry Christmas to you all! I love to say that and so is it any wonder that I am still saying that? And you do know what p.s. means, right? Just in case you don't, it means post script. It is commonly known as the piece of letter after the letter. So, my letter, or main message to you is Merry Christmas, meaning a couple things which I shall channel Gandalf in order to make them clear...

1. I wish for you a merry Christmas.
2. It is a merry Christmas, whether you want it or not.
3. I feel exceedingly merry this Christmas.
4. And yes, this is truly a Christmas to be merry on.

All of those speak to the relationship between my/your happiness upon the event of this holiday and I do wish to communicate every possible permutation of that hope for you and me. Christmas has brought and should always bring a great message of peace, joy, and good will toward men. At the risk of sounding elitist, I believe that the best people to carry such a message would have to be those who not only recognize the event as a Holy birthday, but have received the gift of salvation made possible by the coming of the Son of God. That brings me to my "p.s.".

I saw an advertisement during the holidays that stirred my thoughts and emotions. It was based on real events that took place on one Christmas day during World War I. I have posted the link in case you missed it. It is a powerful reminder of the real Spirit of Christmas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM

This year, more than ever, I read, heard, and heard of more debate from those wishing to make Christmas a platform for disagreement. Whether it was about the use of a Christmas tree, the real date of Christmas, the reference to Santa Claus, the actual time the wise men arrived, and on and on and on, there seemed to be more concern for the defense of a position than the advancement of the authentic message of Christmas. In hind sight, I could have stayed out of the discussions. I could have taken a lesson from the soldiers on that Christmas day 100 years ago. I could have been more focused on sharing the good news, the angels called them glad tidings, of a Savior who was born to save us from our sins, to forgive us our unrighteousness, and to bring peace, an indescribable lasting peace. I realized, this year, how important it is to ever and always exalt Christ. Many illustrations from my past convince me that the best thing that I can do, and it is what I am called to do, is make Christ known, give Him all the glory, all of the preeminence. I have said from the pulpit of Franklin Baptist Church many times, "You don't sell a Ford by kicking a Chevy." I have gained nothing by disputing or insulting, but if I lift Christ up, he said he would draw all men to himself.

So here it is, my p.s...I hope you were able to celebrate Christ. It doesn't matter to me if you pretend there is a Santa; it's none of my business if you decorate a Christmas tree or not (either way, you are not violating scripture); and even if Jesus' actual birth was some other time of year and it took the wise men longer than a night to get there, I pray that you celebrated Christ. I pray that you rejoiced as the shepherds did when they witnessed the reality of the coming of Messiah, as the wise men did when they saw the Star, and especially as Mary when the Only Begotten of the Father was born in her. I hope you were able to celebrate Christ. And if you were, don't stop. If you didn't, it's not too late. It's never too late. Christ came to bring you salvation. That is a gift that is always available. Thanks for reading my Perspective.