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Christmas

I’m a bit undecided about whether I like Christmas or not. I do enjoy the carol services, the way that the lights make a dark and cold time of year look more cheerful, and I quite like all the wonderful food! I’m not sure I enjoy crowded shops, trying to write hundreds of Christmas cards (without forgetting anyone) or as a minister trying to be in three places all at once! I also recognise that for many people Christmas can be a difficult time because of family circumstances especially when you have lost a loved one. However I am certainly not proposing that we go back to the days when Parliament actually abolished Christmas in this country back in 1645 (during the English Civil War).

Actually they didn’t abolish it because they weren’t people of faith. Quite the contrary: those were days when the Puritans were very much in charge of Parliament – their objection was that Jesus wasn’t born on 25th December, they thought having “holy days” was superstitious,  and they didn’t like all the drinking and making merry that went with Christmas festivities (something that some still complain about today). Actually many people ignored the fact that Christmas had been abolished and it was re-instated in 1660 when the Monarchy was restored with the return of Charles II.

We haven’t got any more chance of abolishing Christmas in this country today (even if we wanted to). Christmas will happen with or without the Church! We have the responsibility of reminding people that the celebrations have a reason. That there is a message of love and hope for everyone, especially for those who are feeling lost at this time of year. That God sent Jesus Christ to be our Saviour, because we need to be rescued. If you have never felt like you needed some help then perhaps you don’t need a Saviour. Those of us who sometimes struggle with what life brings know that we need a God who is real and can give us hope and strength to face up to the challenges that come our way. Someone called Paul Wilson wrote (cleverly) “if you take Christ out of Christmas all you are left with is M&S”.  Thank God for Christmas and let us celebrate the real reason for all the festivities.

(Revd.) Kevin Jones

Beliefs of the United Reformed Church