The December cover of WORLD magazine encouraged me – “Simpler Celebrations: Weary of cultural Christmas excess, some Christians are rethinking the holiday.”
In recent years, Christ has been eliminated from Christmas, even though Jesus’ birth is solely why we have reason to celebrate this season. For example, in the news a few weeks ago was a report that the Neiman Marcus department store chain has taken the word “Christmas” out of its 98-year-old annual gift catalog.
Christmas for many in the U.S. is just another holiday – another excuse for saving money on “stuff” and ostentatiously decorating homes.
Even secular comedian Chris Rock expressed in a 2014 monologue, “It’s America; we commercialize everything. Look what we did to Christmas. Christmas is Jesus’ birthday! Now I don’t know Jesus, but from what I’ve read, Jesus is the least materialistic person to ever roam the earth.” He continued: “… we turned his birthday into the most materialistic day of the year. Matter of fact, we have the Jesus birthday season. It’s a whole season of materialism.”
While this might be true in many areas of the U.S., it is – gratefully – not so much the case in Macon County/Franklin. In all my travels in this country and internationally, I have not experienced such blatant honor of Christ’s birth as I have seen here. Most notably is the large, beautifully constructed nativity situated outside the courthouse. Shops play Christmas hymns. At this month’s events like the Cartoogechaye Baptist Church’s live nativity, Cowee Christmas and Balsam Bee, and Winter Wonderland is unabashed evidence of Christ’s birth in messaging on sweatshirts and sweaters. Various decorations, crafts, and artwork sport scriptures from the prophetic Isaiah 9 or Matthew 1.
Our community is greatly focused on one of the main opportunities of the Christmas holiday: to express love and acts of kindness and service toward individuals in need. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
In fact, giving is evident in myriad ways to: Operation Christmas Child, Toys for Tots, 828Vets, Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center, Baptists on Mission, Macon New Beginnings, REACH, and so many more reputable area organizations. Area churches are also offering specific giving and serving opportunities.
The “least of these” are taken care of in manifold ways; but also, this year, we have even greater reasons to give of our resources and time. (Read “Remember …” in this edition, as well as other Hurricane Helene relief-focused articles on www.maconsense.org.) Many neighbors to the northeast are cold and homeless and still lacking clean water.
Finally, the reason for the season is expressed by holding fast to Appalachian heritage, which this community does exceptionally well. Focusing on historic holiday traditions bolsters family ties and binds friendships. Cutting down a Christmas tree on one’s own property or choosing a tree from a local farm; shooting mistletoe out of the tops of trees; clipping berry-laden holly and arranging on wreaths or in vases; pressing cider from locally grown apples; hand-making cards (which just happened last week at Otto Community Center); baking together; and, purchasing lovingly made and grown items from the year-round Saturday Franklin Farmer’s Market. These are just a few activities families and friends have experienced and can enjoy together for generations.
While the latter mentions do not specifically denote the reason for the season, they veer from the wholly Christ-less and commercialized expression of Christmas that those in so many cities and states have adopted. Let us stay focused; no matter how the world chooses to celebrate Dec. 25. May we as a community remember, 1) that Jesus’ birth is what launched the recognition in the first place, and, 2) that He will be with us “to the end of the age.”
Blessings this Christmas and in the New Year – and thank you, readers, for supporting Macon Sense.