The beauty around us

Only two more days, and then the worst is over. I should be writing my 10 page Presbyterian Confessions commentary on my statement of faith, based on the confessions. I should be studying for my Church History final on Wednesday morning as well. I should be editing my 20 pages of Worship papers that I need to turn in by Thursday. Everything is due, and true to my nature, I've procrastinated till the end, and now my stress levels are up. I'm sure that I will get everything done, but I seem to be growing an attachment to my computer over the last couple of days. I can't seem to get away. The countdown is on to Thursday night where I get to reward myself with a few beers out on the town, and Friday morning where I get to hop in my car for the road trip home. One piece of advice I do give to everybody though. Don't ever get to busy to appreciate the true beauty that is around you.

To laugh or cry?

I'm laughing to myself right now, but I almost feel like I should be crying instead. Two articles about the season caught my attention today online, coincidently right next to each other.
It is that time of year. It's that time of year when over our radio's we hear nonstop songs about the Christmas season, with visions of bells ringing, and trees glowing, and families gathered together for a season of joy. I'm not a big fan of Christmas songs myself having had to listen to them nonstop for twelve hour shifts when working retail for a few years, but I don't dislike the message that they bring and I understand why so many people really love them. I had to pause at one of the stories that I read though, and reflect a little bit on the true meaning of the holiday. According to the article, of the top 25 Christmas songs played on the radio over the last five years, only one was really a religious carol; Little Drummer Boy. The songs that top the charts are songs such as The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (#1), Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (#4), or Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow (#6). All of these songs have a very warming Christmas message, and bring good feeling to our hearts, but all miss the original point of the holiday, the birth of our Lord and Savior. There would not be a holiday where we all gather around a tree, open presents brought to us by Santa Clause, and eat a big holiday meal had Christ not been born. Yet for many people in the world today, the meaning of Christmas is just that, Santa Clause and Christmas trees. Christ makes the list once in these holiday songs, while Santa makes it four times, and Rudolph the Red nose Reindeer scores a song too. We get barraged by ads on the television talking about all the sales due to the gifts that we need to buy, and Santa shows up everywhere, and it's getting earlier and earlier every year now. Now again don't get me wrong, I’m not saying that I want to do away with the merry fat man. I like Santa, and if I ever have kids I'm not going to rob them of that Christmas mystery. I will however also teach them the real meaning of the holiday.
The second article I read is the one that really makes me both laugh and want to cry though. It also makes the point of my first argument above, that the holiday is no longer about Christ. The headline reads "Santa Claus Deemed Too 'Religious' for School Fundraiser". The article goes on to say:

A Christmas-themed event to raise money at a public elementary school in Warwick, N.Y., has been altered to accommodate a parent's complaints that the program would illegally spotlight a "religious" figure - Santa Claus.

My question is this; how is Santa a religious figure? I have yet to go to church and hear a Christmas sermon that links Santa with the birth of Jesus some 2000 years ago, give or take. I have heard plenty of sermons that warn about the secularization of the holiday. That is precisely what Santa Clause is, a secular symbol that lets people have fun on this officially Christian, but in real life very secular holiday. I will concede the point that Santa comes from Saint Nicholas, a Catholic saint know for giving gifts, but still that is not the point of the holiday. To be quite honest I am almost a little offended that Santa is being banned as a religious figure, not because yet another school board is on a crusade to crush anything remotely "Christian" in school, but that they are linking my celebration of the holy birth to a secular symbol. I am offended that with so many issues in the world, this one has to be fought. I don't have an opinion either way on this argument. I understand that if the whole event was proclaiming the birth of Christ, it would need to be changed, and I won't argue that point. I will argue that if a children’s program sings a song like Silent Night, it does not need to be changed. A song here and there to explain what different cultures and religions celebrate is not wrong in school. I remember singing the dreidel song when I was younger, and never once was that an issue. This is a whole different debate that I don't want to get into at the moment however. I guess I just don't know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity of this fight over how much religion is allowed in school, and that it now centers over a secular product that should not be attached to religion in the first place.
An addendum: If your looking for the true meaning of Christmas, instead of the over commercialized I recommend going to see the nativity story. I went with a group of five friends tonight and the movie was very good. As with any Christian movie, there will probably be a large chunk of people that like it, and many that don't, but for me the story was good and the symbolism was amazing all through the movie.

It's amazing how much can change in one year. I started blogging just over a year ago. One year ago today was my very last day at Group. I was determined to put myself where I am now, but I was also frightend, and a little bitter. Now I am somewhere where God has put me and loving it. The countdown for this semester is on as well. I have only two more weeks left of school this semester. Next week is the last week of classes, and then finals week. Look out Colorado here I come! I also ask that prayers go out to my Grandma who is in the hospital right now. Later!