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Christmas Greetings by The Rev. Laura Queen It seems a bit odd to be writing my Christmas article for the Ebb and Flow before Halloween. However, after walking over to the Promenade for lunch and seeing all of the Christmas decorations in Restoration Hardware I am somewhat in the spirit. By the time you get this newsletter all of the plastic creches are out on the lawns, the trees will be full of twinkle lights and you can find at least 4 or 5 performances of Handel's Messiah throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Humbug! is what many of you are already thinking as you read this and perhaps that is the real feeling of Christmas in the year 2005. What do we have to be cheerful about? Why so many Merry Christmas's, or for the secular, Happy Holidays? Last year someone told me that Christmas is only for children. I was taken aback by this comment. Because my middle name is Virginia I have taken seriously the response of old "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." Believe it or not, Christmas is a nationwide celebration and it is especially significant to everyone who is in a Christian family of faith. So what do we do amidst all the revelry, partying, decorating, shopping, giving and receiving? With so many distractions it is often difficult to remember why we have such a holiday. Many of us would rather hibernate after our Thanksgiving dinners and conveniently wake up on December 26th. Where ever you find your emotions regarding Christmas, I would like to remind you that while roughly 75% of Americans are Christian, the rest are Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and Agnostics. Yet the fact is that 96% of Americans celebrate Christmas. Why do we celebrate such a secular holiday? It’s not because "Jesus is the Reason for the Season". We celebrate because in this world we need to be reminded of Jesus' birth, his humanity, tolerance, charity, kindness and generosity. These are the most important gifts we can give another this holiday season. We can be tolerant of others who are different from ourselves, we can offer charity to those in need and we can offer kindness and generosity in the form of words and actions to friends and strangers. This is the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas Service Schedule
Copyright © 2005 St. Augustine by-the-Sea
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