You know, some folks just don't get it.

You know, some folks just don't get it. Christmas, I mean.

Last week, my executive pastor, Eddie, shared what he heard on a local radio show. The hosts of the morning show were talking about songs commonly played at Christmas that really didn't have anything to do with Christmas. An example they used was "Frosty, the Snowman"--a great seasonal song but it really has nothing to do with the event we celebrate. They invited listeners to call in and share their own song titles. One lady called in and, with all seriousness, listed the song "Mary, Did You Know?" The announcer laughed a little to himself (probably waiting for a punch line or "just kidding"). After a pause, he asked, "Ma'am, you do know that Mary was the mother of Jesus?" Her reply? "What's that got to do with the Christmas season" (reminds me of the old country song with Jeff Foxworthy "Here's Your Sign")

Then, the next day, the Atlanta paper was ranking the worst Christmas albums and songs of the season. Now, you and I both know there are some really bad songs and bad remakes of good songs (e.g. Madonna's remake of "Santa Baby"). It's not like they didn't have plenty to choose from. Their number 10 choice was a song by Shane and Shane--contemporary worship writers who have done some really good stuff. The song chosen was "Born to Die"--a song that talks about the obvious (at least I used to think it was) reason for the birth of Christ in the first place. The reason it was chosen as one of the worst?? It puts a damper on your Christmas spirit by talking about Jesus' death.

Hello? Sorry to rain on your parade people but you can't have Christmas without Jesus and you can't speak of Jesus (his name literally means Savior) without understanding that his birth occurs under the shadow of his impending death--the most significant reason for his presence.

Maybe our friends and naysayers need to be reminded of the final verses of the classic Christian carol, "Good Christian Men, Rejoice":

Good Christian men, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Now ye hear of endless bliss: Jesus Christ was born for this.
He has opened heaven's door, and man is blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this, Christ was born for this.

Good Christian men, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Now ye need not fear the grave: Jesus Christ was born to save;
Calls you one and calls you all, To gain His everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save, Christ was born to save.