Keeping Christ in Christmas
By Dr. Chris King
December 2009
At this yearly time of Christmas
When at my forty years and six
That I by own peculiar “wisdom”
Sought most heartily to fix
This dilemma of the Christmas
This conundrum of great thought
That has bothered me through recent day
So much that I have sought
To relieve myself and this world
Of the pressing, important matter
Of why Christmas invariably comes
With all of its festival clatter
And leaves all those in its wake
Not with promised joy and peace
But with heartache, emptiness and concern
And great debt, to say the least.
“If this Christmas is a time so blessed,
A holy day, by what is said,
Then why have all of this trouble?
Why all the pain?” I sorely pled.
So, my two eyes for this Christmas
Scanned the malls both to and fro
I saw much hustle and bustle of people
And the crowds both come and go
With their bags full of purchases and goodies
For the loved ones they hold dear
And the friends, co-workers and neighbors
What with presents they want to cheer.
Yet in all of this commotion
I saw nothing in the least
To provide for me a reason
To explain needless waste and feast.
There were parties full of toasting
Using drinks, both dry and wet,
With some guests so drunk while leaving
They were clueless as to who they met!
And to family homes I wandered
Curious to see how they would be
Only to find great competition
As to who’s gift was best under the tree.
At last I came upon a different place
A quiet nook yet speaking loud
A living creche placed out in a field
No grand displays, no hustling crowds
No twinkling lights, no blasting horns
Just peaceful bliss in soft firelight
And as the veil of my heart was torn
Does manger’s message shine so bright?
For, lo, my eyes are just now seeing
And my heart knows to be true
Two things are of a surety
As pure as the morning’s dew.
The reason why our Christmas
Doesn’t measure up "to par”
Has not parlayed its glorious essence
Beyond its stead too far
Has nothing to do with Christmas
No, no, quite nothing, nothing at all.
We are the ones who have ceased to invite
King Jesus to His own Christmas Ball!
We have planned all of our parties.
We have bought the tree to trim.
Yet, we rarely have remembered
To center our focus upon Him.
We easily spend big money
In the malls, in stores and thrifts
And overlook the cardinal meaning
Why we even give the gifts!
In the spirit of the Father
As He’s given us the Son
In the spirit of the Magi
Gifts in three, hearts as one.
Without the Christ, there is no Savior
Christmas is but a passing day.
Even Saint Nick has no basis
Without Jesus in the hay.
Yet, when we put Him in the midst
Of all our celebration
Christmas is truly a “holy-day”
As becomes the long tradition.
So, the moral of this Christmas poem
To ones with hearts needing cheer
Is to keep the Christ in Christmas
And His joy throughout the year!
