Christmas, Never Changing, Always New

Last updated on: January 3, 2016 at 8:29 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

Christmas, Never Changing, Always New 2015-12-24T19:23:52-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We have ornaments from our childhoods and ornaments from the childhoods of each of our children. They have been out for the last two months and soon they will return to storage.

Next Christmas will not be like this Christmas, yet they will (God willing!) still be there. A different tree will hold the same ornaments. A different year will bring new friends to our Saint Stephen’s Day feast. We will play new games, but sing the old carols.

The Christmas pageant will be done at Saint Paul’s, but some of this years kids will be too old to perform, this years “baby Jesus” will graduate to playing an “animal” in the stable, and the shepherds will get a bit taller.

Next year’s Baby Jesus is not even on the way! Secular Christmas will always need religious Christmas. Without a basis for morality beyond those alive today and what strikes us as moral, holidays fade.

One bacchanal looks like another. Super Bowl Sunday just has a different menu from Christmas Day.

The problem with creating a culture for consumers is that it is always changing with our tastes, but is never new. Vice is vice and so novelty is impossible if the basis for civilization is desire. The way culture does change is to demonize the old “cool” or the old way of fulfilling desire while elevating the new. Last decades look is mocked, yesterday’s decadence is recognizes, but this year’s look is proclaimed actually “cool” (or whatever the new cool word for cool might be) while today’s decadence is merely a variation on vice. Remakes multiply, because even the creative tension of rebellion is hard when The Man is transgender and willing to accommodate any desire.

For secularists there is a real question why anyone should sacrifice pleasure for other people. Surely we all wish that someone would defend us from Daesh, but why me? Can’t we talk the rural Bible thumpers into doing it? What about drones? The problem, of course, is that even the research necessary to learn to make drones is hard. A few people just like the monastic life of serious research, but not as many as we need. Math is hard, lab research isn’t grinding, and there is more money to be made in sales or stock manipulation.

I want someone to invent the next iPhone, but why me?

So it is with holidays. We know we should fast, but fasting is hard and unpleasant. The Church year forces me to either fast or confront the reason why I am not. Before I started following the Church calendar I was all in favor of fasting and charity, but hardly ever did it. When I did fast, it was because I decided to do it. I was not part of a community or under discipline, I was choosing my religious thrills.

Yet if there is not rigorous fast, there is no feast. The Saint Stephen’s Day dinner tasted so good, because we were meatless (except for Thanksgiving) some of November and most of December. The more I hate the fast, and this year it was very hard for me, the sweeter the meat. Every year’s fast is unchanging, but I change. What was easy as a young man is hard here in the the youth of old age.

Christmas is never changing, always new. Christmas cannot change, because it is based in a real person: Jesus. Because it is based in a person and not just a story, Christmas is always new. We learn something new about the people we love the longer we love them. Love Jesus and you will find Him always surprising you while still being Himself.

Merry Christmas.

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

January 2, 2016

Christmas can be Creative!

Next Post

January 4, 2016 Wise men not Wise guys . . .

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does Revelation say about anyone who adds to the words of the prophecy?

Select your answer to see how you score.

They will be judged God will add to them the plagues described in this scroll They will be cursed They will lose their salvation

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »