I saw on Facebook this morning a friend of mine decorating his Christmas tree. It’s December 8th people, what are we even doing not having that sucker up for weeks now?! He might be the last person in the south who has started celebrating the Christmas season. So be it. Happy holidays to him and to all the rest who are only just now feeling merry and/or bright.
This time of year is marked by a general mood shift in our society. People tend to be a little kinder to one another, smile more at one another, and help one another a bit more than they would the other eleven months of the year. In fact, it’s long been the case that charitable donations, across the board, increase almost 100 % during this month compared to the previous eleven. Statistically, people are just more selfless this time of year. If you were to ask a person why they were so nice and kind, they would say “because it’s Christmas,” as though that’s the most obvious answer in the world.
Far be it for me to put a damper on someone’s holiday do-gooding, but I’d like to offer an alternative explanation for why we should do kind things: Instead of “it’s Christmas” let’s say “It’s Christian.”
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you
(Ephesians 4:32)
The Christmas season will be over in less than a month, and for many people that’ll be the time when the smiles dim, the kindness fades, and charitable deeds disappear. If we base every good deed we do around a seasonal holiday we won’t be doing very many good deeds in the long run. But if we focus our lives on the Christian spirit…well, that’s a season that lasts forever.
Enjoy the holiday season, and do good to your neighbors.
It’s the Christian thing to do
~ Matthew