Religion in Daily Life

By the Rev. Edward Chinn, D.Min.

Rector, All Saints' Church

Sunday, 22 December 2002

http://www.allsaintstorresdale.org

Christmas is a season that lends itself to becoming sentimentalized. The word "sentimental" suggests that we are liable to act from feelings rather than from logical thinking. We indulge in the sentimentalizing of Christmas when we are swept away by false or excessive emotions. From Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" to a Norman Rockwell Christmas painting, we are liable to miss the realism of the Christmas celebration.

Christmas is realistic about society. Just look at the Christmas narrative. No sooner had Jesus been born than the King of that area, Herod, commanded the murder of every little boy two years old and under. Herod was afraid he'd lose his position and power. Likewise, not everyone in our society does justice and loves kindness and walks humbly with God. For example: In Urbana, Ohio, a woman abused her 7-year daughter to get financial power. She tricked her little daughter and her community into thinking the girl had cancer. She did this to raise money. This mother went so far as to shave her daughter's head, give her sleeping pills, and put her into counseling to prepare to die (The New York Times, December 20, 2002).

Christmas is realistic about the human self. In 1892, the inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel, said that his new dynamite factories might end war sooner than peace congresses. In 1893, the inventor of the automatic machine gun, Hiram Maxim, said, "It will make war impossible." Speaking about the baby to be born, the divine messenger told Joseph to "name him Jesus-'God saves-because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). The great institutions of society are in the salvation business. Schools save people from ignorance. Hospitals save people from disease. Social clubs save people from loneliness. The human self needs to be saved from selfishness.

Christmas is realistic about the Savior. A fellow-Anglican priest, James Irvine, commented on the popular saying distributed on Christmas cards, bumper stickers, and banners. The saying is: "Jesus is the reason for the season." Take another look at that saying. The reason for the season of Christmas is our needs: the need of society and the human self to be rescued from the destructive ways that damage human life. You are the reason for the season! "For us and for our salvation he [the Son of God] came down from heaven . . . and was made man" (The Nicene Creed). As St. Paul wrote, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15).