And Other Oxymorons
If you check with Wikipedia.com you will find the definition of oxymoron to be “A figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms.”
For instance, here is a short list of some oxymorons:
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Act naturally Good grief Same difference Almost exactly Government organization Small crowd New classic Now, then . . . Clearly misunderstood |
Peace force Plastic glasses Tight slacks Definite maybe Pretty ugly Twelve-ounce pound cake Working vacation Exact estimate Microsoft Works |
When you hear or see the words, “The Magic of Christmas,” you are experiencing one more oxymoron. Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of Christ, the Son of God. It is a special time of the year when Christians take time to remember the miracle of the virgin birth. A miracle performed by the living God.
Magic, on the other hand, is the commonly used word which has its origin in sorcery and wizardry. Sorcery and wizardry have been proven to be some of the most powerful tools of the devil. The meaning of the word magic is found at the extreme opposite end of the spectrum from all that constitutes the reason we celebrate Christmas.
If you were to go to Google's website and make a search for the word “magic,” the first link you will see will probably be www.wizards.com. Included within that site is information relating to such things as Dungeons and Dragons, the Gathering, and other material related to the occult.
Therefore, although you will hear it and read it throughout the Christmas season, “The Magic of Christmas” is probably the greatest example of an oxymoron there has ever been.
The warm-fuzzy feelings that are generated by this oxymoron are probably genuine to all who come from a non-dysfunctional family. Childhood memories of waking up Christmas morning and wondering what would be found under the tree have generally left a very positive psychological impact upon most of us. But even these feelings have very little to do with the birth of the Savior. On the other hand, they have much to do with having our (pre-Christmas) wishes being realized when we find a package beneath the branches of that tree.
Please do not misunderstand the purpose of this discussion of Christmas. For Christmas is a wonderful time of the year and brings family and friends together for many different reasons, including the celebration of the birth of Christ. And Christmas is also one of the most opportune times of the year to be able to openly testify to the love of God and His saving grace through His Son, Jesus.
In fact, if Christmas were not so commercialized I suspect it would be deemed unconstitutional and removed as a holiday. Because of what some call the separation of church and state the holiday would fall into the same category of controversy as the Ten Commandments, and their removal from our public buildings. In fact, some of the early settlers in the original colonies of the United States did set up laws making it illegal to celebrate Christmas because of its historically traditional connections.
Why would they do something like that? Because most of the traditions associated with Christmas have nothing to do with Jesus' birth. The holiday, itself, was set aside several thousand years before the birth of Christ. It wasn't called Christmas but it was a holy day. And it came about as a celebration marking the point during the year when the sun no longer drops closer to the horizon each day and is determined to be rising higher in the sky. This was a sign of coming warmer weather and the return of spring.
In the northern hemisphere we recognize a day called the Winter Solstice. It is the accurately pre-calculated date and time at which the tilt of the earth (23-degrees) is such that the axis of the earth's rotation is pointing away from the sun at its greatest angle. In other words, it is usually on December 22nd and is noted as the shortest day of the year. It is the day of year when the northern hemisphere receives the least amount of direct sunlight.
It probably took a couple of days for the ancient astronomers to verify the change each year and therefore December 25th was the day set aside for a time to celebrate the coming of warmer weather. There are several explanations available as to why Christians chose that day to celebrate the birth of Christ but no one knows for sure. One simple way to explain it would be with a play on words:
The rebirth of the Sun - The birth of the Son.
The truth is that the day on which we celebrate Christmas stems from tradition.
How about Santa Clause and reindeer and the Christmas tree and the exchanging of gifts? What do they have to do with the birth of Christ? NOTHING! But I wouldn't recommend abandoning any of them. In fact, if you are a parent you can have the time of your life playing Santa for your children. I cherish the memories of when my kids were young and I watched their eyes on Christmas morning as they walked into the living room and saw the gifts, some opened and some wrapped, beneath the tree.
My parents had a tradition of keeping us kids in a separate room until we had eaten breakfast. Then everyone would line up with the oldest first and the youngest last. We would slowly march into the living room and find a seat. At that point someone would open the Bible and read the account of Jesus' birth from Luke, chapter two. Then, we would turn our attention toward the gifts.
Usually my grandfather would begin handing out the gifts from beneath the tree, one-by-one, to each of us kids. Of course he would always leave the most wished for gift as the last to be handed out. That meant that things like bicycles, doll houses, etc. sat there glistening before our eyes burning memories into our minds that would last a life time. When I became an adult and had my own children I followed the same practice as my parents had. Christmas became a special time for our family and still is.
Christmas is said to mean many different things to different people. That is probably due to its long history dating back before the time of Christ. Most scholars believe Jesus' birth never occurred during the cold, wintry period of the year. But it really doesn't matter when we stop to celebrate His birth. What is important is that we celebrate. It is important that we take time to recognize the sacrifice that God the Father and God the Son made on our behalf.
The Christmas season provides an excellent opportunity for you and me to tell those around us about the tremendous love that God has for each living soul. There are very few people who don't seem to share the warm-fuzzies of this time of year and who understand perfectly who Jesus was.
The Christmas season provides us with a great opportunity to continue their understanding of who Jesus is and why they need to learn so much more about Him. He came to earth as a friend of sinners and to die in their place in order that they could someday be with Him in heaven. We have a debt as Christians to share this precious gift with as many others as we possibly can.