Once upon a time there was a man named Scrooge. His best friend name’s was Grinch. They weren’t very nice guys. They hated holidays in general, but they really hated Christmas. Too much joy and fa la la la la good tidings and such. One very cold December they talked a kid into sticking his tongue to a freezing pole. Actually they triple-dog dared him and when that didn’t work they promised him $5 to do it. The kid needed the dough to buy his little brother Tim a fiberglass crutch. While he was stuck to the pole they ran off laughing and scoffing and didn’t give him any money. Trying to scheme something else dastardly to do Grinch said, “I know a kid named Cindy Lou, let’s go scare her.” Scrooge said, “Who?” Grinch said, “Yes.” A mixed-up Scrooge replied, “Cindy Lou who?” Grinch, who was growing green with exasperation, said, “Yes, that’s what I said, Cindy Lou Who.” Scrooge shouted over a group of passing carolers singing Do You Hear What I Hear? “No I didn’t hear what you said for all of the fa la la la la noise and I don’t want to scare a little girl with so many rhymey names! I have a better idea. I know a kid who’s home alone. Let’s go scare him.” “Yes,” replied Grinch, “That will be fun. Isn’t this a wonderful life, Scrooge?” Scrooge didn’t hear Grinch because he was being chased by a dog. He yelled back to Grinch, “Help me Grinch, it’s Chuck Brown’s dog again!” Grinch didn’t hear Scrooge because he was running in the opposite direction. He too was scared of Chuck Brown’s dog. They had had a run-in with that dog Halloween night in a pumpkin patch.
A mixed-up story line? A jumbled plot? A confusing combo of players? Welcome to Christmas in the 21st Century. In our hurry-up, make-a-buck, speed-of-light-living-world the baseline of Christmas is easily missed. It’s as if all of the Christmas stories and movies are tossed together. You’re thinking of pagans right now, aren’t you? Of course many non-believers miss the point; that’s why they’re called non-believers. Truth is even Christians are skilled at missing the finer points of Advent and Christmas. How? Speed mostly. We know better. We have the story memorized. We know O Holy Night by heart. None of us mean to slog through Christmas without feeling the love, yet we sometimes allow all of December to slip by without having a fresh encounter with God. When Christmas becomes mixed-up with the-busy-life there can be only two possible outcomes: Life wins; or, Jesus breaks through the noise and the wrapping paper and changes our lives. It really is all about a baby born in a manger on a cold winter’s night so all people can find salvation, peace and purpose. Yep, even Scrooge and Grinch and all of the other mixed-up people in the world.
Share the love and the straight-up message of Christmas this year…and change the world!
Michael McCullar
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