Hollow Days
By Tom Gilbreath
People have been complaining about the corruption of Christmas for a long time. In the 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street, a Macy’s janitor named Alfred says, “There's a lot of bad 'isms' floatin' around this world, but one of the worst is commercialism. Make a buck, make a buck. Even in Brooklyn it's the same — don't care what Christmas stands for, just make a buck, make a buck.”
Can you imagine? Even in Brooklyn!
With Thanksgiving and Black Friday behind us, we have fully entered the holiday season. Signs and cards say, “Season’s Greetings,” or “Happy Holidays!” Those generic words cover Hannukah, Kwanza, Christmas, New Years, and any other celebrations held this time of year.
We derive the word holiday from “holy day.” But sadly, it often means hollow day — a day emptied of normal responsibilities like work and school. It’s a day just for fun, or a day we obsess about making everything absolutely perfect.
Over the next few weeks, you will likely hear scores of reasons for the season. Hallmark-style movies will remind us of the importance of family, the rediscovery of romantic love, or perhaps restoring a community center. (For some reason, Hallmark heroes really dig community centers.)
The real reason for the season is, of course, Jesus. We love to hear about the angels and people like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men. Each enriches the story. But they are only supporting characters. The Christmas story centers on God being born into the world as a human being, and the redeeming purposes of that birth.
That’s why the devil hates it. He and his will come up with a million distractions. The NFL held its first Christmas Day game in 1971. It didn’t go over too well, so they didn’t have another until 1989. But starting in 2020, the league has scheduled at least one game on that day every year. Last year, they were so determined to play on Christmas that they held games on a Wednesday.
Don’t misunderstand. I’m not accusing the NFL of being in “league” with the devil. But I am saying that Christmas looks less holy and more hollow every year — less an occasion for joyful awe at the birth of Christ, and more of a day where we celebrate for celebration’s sake.
The Westminster Catechism says that humanity’s chief purpose is “to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” This year, make the season all about glorifying God and truly enjoying Him. This does not mean psyching yourself up to an emotional high. It means quiet contemplation. It means listening to the children’s laughter and remembering that God loves us. It means feasting, not just on traditional holiday foods, but on the magnificence of His Word and His Person.
When we think of commercialized Christmas, we might think of the Beach Boys song, “Little Saint Nick.” It seems like a song that simply cashes in on Christmas, but there’s more to it than that. For all the sadness in their lives, the Beach Boys have somehow been able to express joy in music like few others. And that joy surely belongs in a Christmas song. It contains a lyric I used to laugh at for its obviousness — “Christmas comes this time each year.” Those words are hardly revelatory, but they are somehow moving, and not just for the beautiful harmony. I think the words move us because they incapsulate something we have always known about Christmas. It comes each year. It will come again next year, and the next and the next… because the celebration of Jesus is forever.
