Merry Christmas, again

I just got back from church. Our pastor had a Christmas message, but preached from Phillipians. She admitted that she didn't know why she wasn't preaching the traditional Christmas message, but that she was moved by God to preach from Phillipians 4:4-7. Her sermon dealt with why God does things and the fact that we are often unable to understand God's mind. We just have to accept. She dedicated the service to all the service-members who are serving away from home in whatever capacity they are ordered to serve. I thought it was a nice touch to remind us all of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who are in some place other than home for the Christmas season.

At any rate, I have to go out and get some last minute foodstuffs before the stores all close. While I was checking email, I went over to Hog on Ice and found this little blurb. It sets up Christmas against the modern backdrop of current events and says it about as well as anyone has said it.

Oh, yeah. While you're having fun, remember that Christmas has something or other to do with that "Christ" guy. In a world where most religions see God or the gods as selfish, capricious jerks or apathetic administrators who don't care about human suffering, Christianity alone recognizes God as a person who loved us so much He came to earth in the form of a man and allowed Himself to be tortured to death by His jeering enemies so we could be free of the consequences of our own evil deeds.

A lot of religions require the sacrifice of human beings to please gods. Christianity's God sacrificed Himself for the benefit of human beings.

As end-of-the-year gifts go, that one is hard to top.

I concur.

Merry Christmas.