Dakota Beacon

Christmas, with all the falderal, brings with it everything one would expect for a celebration of the season. Cards and carols, dinners and decorations, gifts and greenery, meals and music -- everything to make the season bright.

The old, old story comes to life once more in the music of composer George F. Handel’s “Joy to the World” with words by Isaac Watts from Psalm 98. Likewise, composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” with words by Charles Wesley and George Whitefield from Luke 2:14. Lesser luminaries offer their own songs and carols bringing joy to the season.

Many attempts to explain the endurance of the phenomenon of the Christmas celebration fill pages. In spite of the efforts and regardless of divergence of opinion, one thing remains constant. Generations over the millennia cannot relinquish Jesus Christ.

Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, even secular adherents to a social gospel, fall under the spell of this momentous event – the birth of Jesus Christ.

Whether a believer or not, for the sake of cultural literacy, every person should read the Bible at least once during their lifetime. I’ve read the Bible cover to cover many times and find new meaning each time. As the saying goes with regard to the two Testaments, “In the Old, the New lies concealed; in the New, the Old lies revealed.”

If reading the Bible completely through poses too great a task, then, as a minimum, the four gospels should be read. In these pages lies the basis of Christianity and the root of the Christmas story. If reading the Gospels is too great a task, then reading Luke’s Gospel Chapter 2 (the birth of Jesus Christ) as well as Chapters 23 and 24 (His death and resurrection) must suffice.

The very earliest Christian monks and recluses set in place an unadulterated belief that might have otherwise degenerated into just another common political or social grouping. Another saying goes, “God has no grand kids.” Over and over again new generations read the Gospels and the letters of Paul as if for the first time and rediscovered the eternal blueprint of Christianity. In his work “The Five Deaths of the Faith” G. K. Chesterton points out, “At least five times…the Faith has to all appearance gone to the dogs. In each of these five cases it was the dog that died.”

Throughout Western history, from the time of Jesus onward, the substance of the Gospels remained discernible and was passed down through the centuries.

Jesus Christ is central to western culture. We built our law and count our days from His appearance on earth. That doesn’t mean everyone will embrace Him for who He says He is. It does mean that His influence is such that no other individual has shaped more lives and behavior worldwide over time than has Jesus Christ.

He preached a message of His ongoing presence within each believer encompassing love, peace, life in the Spirit, and life everlasting. And, for His Good News, He gave His life.

Around the world and across the centuries, from the Orient to the Occident, from the Roman Era to the 21st Century, men still seek Him.

Over the centuries many have come to realize that questions of good and evil, life and death, time and eternity are bound up with a living relationship in this Person called Jesus.

It is said that the definition of a Christian is one who has come into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. Enough have done so through the ages and down to the present day that the vibrant celebration of His birth, if only for the sake of the season, should come as no surprise.

A temporal season of fun and joviality is what celebration is all about. To the Christian, however, eternity comprising yesterday, now, and forever is bound up in the indwelling Person of Jesus Christ. And that is worth celebrating.

Merry Christmas!

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)