The Spirit Of Christmas (12-25-07)

Recently, as part of the third grade Christmas play, a random member of the audience was asked to tell what the “spirit of Christmas.” That random audience member was me.

I can’t tell you how many thoughts went through my head. What exactly is the spirit of Christmas? What makes the day so special, so different from all other holidays?

I came to realize that there wasn’t any one thing that truly defines the spirit of Christmas. There are many reasons why this holiday rises far above the rest to deserve so much attention.

First and foremost, Christmas is about God. The birth of Christ is celebrated all over the globe and is sometimes even observed by people who do not share the Christian faith. Christmas is so compelling, so much about the goodness of God and God’s love, that it draws many people of many faiths to commemorate and celebrate.

Now let’s face it, Christmas is also about presents. While many complain about the commercialization of the holiday, to me the spirit of Christmas can be best be found in the act of giving. Whether it is giving our time or giving our money, Christmas seems to bring out the best of us as we give and give and give.

Perhaps the best gift is to give of ourselves, whether it would be to visit relatives, visit the sick or infirm, or visiting your local school to watch a kindergarten program, first grade play, or third grade reader’s theater Christmas production. So while the exchanging of gifts has thrown a commercial cloak over the season, Christmas remains the best time of year to show a little love and to give a little gift or two…or three…or twenty!

Christmas is also about family. It is the one time of year that family, especially our extended families, takes precedence over all else. There are so many people who will be traveling on and around Christmas day, some from relative to relative, going to great lengths to spend time with as much family as possible. I do not know of another holiday that inspires so much personal sacrifice for one’s family and friends.

Finally, to me, Christmas is about peace. Perhaps my favorite Christmas story is about the Christmas truce that occurred on the Western Front of World War I. British and German soldiers, facing each other across one particular Belgian battlefield, called a cease-fire on Christmas day. They met under a flag of truce and exchanged cigarettes, rations, and other small gifts. They began talking to each other about the loved ones who were waiting for them at home. They learned each other’s names and the names of each other’s wives and children. In the afternoon, they organized a soccer game that they played until it was too dark to see the ball, with both sides claiming victory, but neither side begrudging the other. After weeks of grueling trench warfare, the joy of a simple day of peace must have been exhilarating.

The story, as I recall, continued the next day when all the soldiers on both sides refused to pick up their weapons. Eventually, new officers were brought to the field, and when they couldn’t get the men to fight, the units were split up with the soldiers going to rear units. Most of these soldiers still would not fight and were labeled ruined. As the tale of the truce spread, the generals in charge warned their officers to never allow another Christmas truce, lest more soldiers be ruined for fighting.

This is what makes Christmas so special. There is no other day of the year that advocates Peace on Earth so powerfully as to get soldiers at war to put down their weapons to never again fight.

So the spirit of Christmas is as complex as it is wonderful, yet as simple as it is powerful. Whether for the increased emphasis on God, giving, family, or peace, I’m glad that it is time for Christmas once again, reminding us of the important things in life. For all of you, I hope that the spirit of Christmas be with you today, tomorrow, and all the year through. Merry Christmas, Hill City!