The Same Old Thing?

How many times have we heard it before. Perpetual reminders of what Christmas is, or should mean to everyone on earth.

It's the sound of falling snow,
As we hurry out to go.
Carolling with family and friends

Christmas, the one time where church is something other than what old people go to every Sunday morning. When Jesus is mentioned not as a curse. When the Nativity is elevated from static story to cherished tradition. Where songs are sung about God by Christians and non-believers alike and prayers are uttered not in muffled tones but with clear voices.

Where shops and stores release their latest interpretation of what The Gift Of The Year should be. And when wallets and credit cards suddenly lose all sense of inhibition.

Its the laughter in the air
By the fireside we share
Sweet memories we've made throughout the years

When families gather and friends suddenly lose sight of differences. When memories of past years, and past Christmases are dredged up and laughed at. When people get the urge to organize IMU reunions even though friends are spread across 3 continents.

And as we gather close
With those we love the most
Read the story of Christmas,
Christmas time is here.

The night when Jesus was born as a baby. God encased in human flesh, exposed to frosty cold air, his nostrils assaulted with the salty tang of ammonia from fresh manure, his eyes filled with the sight of a blissful mother and a relieved father looking down on him.

Nowhere in the Bible is there a command to celebrate Christmas, no command to set aside a day for its celebration, unlike the Pentecost. But it seems, the world didn't need one.

Can you hear it, the sound of peace on earth?
Its the song of Christmas and the greatest birth.
Its the chorus that rings in human hearts,

God came down, here with us,
It's the song of Christmas.

"Newsong (The Christmas Hope) - The Song of Christmas."