Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

us."unto"man?"Christmas or SaturnaliaPeter Eldersveld*"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bringforth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,which being interpreted is, God with Matthew1 :23.Suppose there were a ban on Christmas thisyear. Suppose all celebration of it were forbidden bystrict government order. You can just imagine whata storm of protest that would evoke not only fromchildren, who would have to give up their presentsand vacation and candy and fun ; and not only fromthe older folks who would have to give up theirparties and drinking and carousing; but especiallyfrom business interests. They would be furious. Itwould be a disaster for them. In fact, it might evenbring on a minor depression. Some of them would nodoubt go bankrupt. The national economy cannotafford to miss the profits of Christmas. So much depends upon them. And that, I fear, is the principalreason why there never would be a ban on Christmasin this country not because it would hurt Christ,but because it would hurt business.But meanwhile, the modern observance ofChristmas is itself a far more effective "ban" on thereal Christmas. Evidently it never occurs to manypeople, who would be up in arms if the governmentever tried to stop what they call Christmas, that theyare doing something much worse. For they are taking Christ out of Christmas. Even the Communistscouldn't do a better job of it. And, what is evenworse, they don't seem to miss Him at all. They arenot consciously trying to get rid of Him. They justdon't realize what they are doing. It is their ignorance that is the real tragedy.The Unknown Name in XmasI have often thought that the contracted andabbreviated form in which we spell the word,"Xmas,"is very fitting indeed for our day. In schoolwe are taught that "X" always represents the unknown quantity in algebraic equations. Well, "X"very properly represents Christ in our modernChristmas. He certainly is the unknown quantity asfar as millions of our people are concerned.Here in Chicago we always have a good exampleof "Xmas" when Santa Claus makes his annual pilgrimage to our city. This year over 400,000 peoplewere on hand downtown in the loop to greet him andto watch him on parade. Parents brought their littlechildren to see the jolly fat fellow in red suit andwhite whiskers who is the central figure in themodern Christmas. And now in these busy weeks ofthe shopping season they are all going down to thestores to see him in his temple and to offer theirbigprayers for his presents. He sits on a throne andpromises to grant every petition. Before him and athis feet the thronging children stand in long lineswaiting for hours to get a chance to speak to their* A sermon delivered over the nation-wide radio network of "The Back-to-God Hour." Used byUnited Evangelical Action.356permission ofChristmas idol in private. They have been taught tobelieve that Santa will "suffer the little children tocome him. One cannot help wondering howmany of these parents would want their children tostand in line for long hours if that were necessaryto see Jesus.The fact that we have to have a campaign in thiscountry to "put Christ back into Christmas" is a pretty serious indictment of us. It means that we don'thave Christ in Christmas now. And the way somepeople are trying to put Him back into Christmas is ahorrible thing to behold. They evidently think theycan put Him into this commercialized Christmaswhich has been built up without Him. So they justadd sacred music and nativity scenes and religiousgreeting cards to the shopping-season madness ofmain street. That only adds confusion to what wealready have. What possible connection can there bebetween sacred Christmas music and the noise of adepartment store? And what does the Christ-childhave in common with Santa Claus ? And what placedoes a nativity scene have in display windows withtalking dolls and other toys ? No, you can't put Christback into the kind of Christmas we have today.You'll have to change Christmas first.In other words, we will have to get back to thetruth about Christmas, which so many do not know,and which so many others do not want. It would bebad for business if we were to go back to it, but itwould be good for us; for it would take away our"Xmas"and give us Christmas instead.The Forgotten Truth About ChristmasWhat is the truth about Christmas ? What doesit really mean ? And why would it make such a radical change in our whole celebration if we went backto it? The truth about Christmas is that a youngwoman became the mother of a Child without havinga husband and without committing adultery! Shewas a virgin, and yet she conceived and bore a Son !That is the simple but solemn truth about Christmas. And don't try to cover it up in the interests ofa false modesty, or to explain it away in the interestsof a scientific reasonableness. You need not blush toface this plain biological impossibility or, rather,this divine miracle and holy mystery ! It was something that just could not have happened. And yetit did!Mary herself, the virgin mother, could not understand it. She was the first one to ask that question which all the world has been asking ever since :"How shall this be, seeing I know not aDon'tsay that you are too decent to ask that question.And don't say that you are too scientific to considerit. It is the big question which must be asked andanswered if we are to have a Christmas in whichChrist is the central figure. The angel didn't avoidthat question. He told Mary: "The Holy Ghost shallcome upon thee, and the power of the Highest shallovershadow thee : therefore that noly thing whichshall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."And Joseph asked that question too. Naturally.COVENANTER WITNESS