Who's Your Baby?

For to us a child is born,
To us a son is given,
And the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace
There will be no end.
Isaiah 9: 6-7


Isn’t that verse amazing? Wonderful counselor, Mighty God. Michael W. Smith sings a song that uses this verse and he adds “Lord of life, Lord of all.” Lord of all, not the Lord of morning but I’ll handle the afternoons. He is not Lord of my wallet but not my reading material. He is the Lord of all, King of kings. As Christians we sing Scripture all year long. We sing it in church and many of us sing it at home, in the car and anywhere else we happen to go. During the Christmas season we hear hallelujah, gloria, Emmanuel and Jesus sung in places we otherwise never hear the name of God. It’s Christmas so Christ and his buddies get to hang out in places from which they are normally banned.

A couple of years ago a woman with whom I work gave me a Christmas CD. It was a collection of songs by Christian artists. It included some snowy and jingly songs but for the most part it was the fall on your knees, sing gloria, worship God kind of CD. She hated it! “I want Christmas music.” She said, “Not this garbage. Where’s the Santa baby?” “The what?” I replied. Of course I knew what she meant but seriously CHRISTmas music should center for the most part on CHRIST. I mentioned that she was missing the point but she refused to hear me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the snowy and jingling songs too. I just love my Savior more. I do not like the song about Santa that she was looking for. I have no problem with Santa though I know some Christians do. I love the idea of giving being personified in a friendly, jolly guy all dressed in a bright color that draws the attention of children too young to truly grasp what real giving is all about.

It occurs to me that allowing children to focus on Santa for the first few years of life while of course teaching and reading them the true Christmas story is a great way to teach salvation. What does Santa get out of giving? Nothing. What does Jesus get? He gets us, to live at his side and adore him. What do we get from Santa? A toy that lasts a year at best. What do we get from Jesus? Eternal life. What is the greatest difference? Santa is mythical, based on some real saints but mythical all the same and Jesus is as real as real gets. Of course there are all kinds of other differences, which then can be taught to our children, and maybe our children will teach them to adults like my co-worker who doesn’t want a CD about Christ. Oh no, she wants a CD about Christmas or so she thinks. I think she wants a CD about the politically correct “Happy Holiday.”

At first I was irritated that this grown, educated woman refuses to get that Christmas is not about red and green packages, cookies and bows. Then I felt so sad for her because the lack of Christ in her life is not limited to Christmas. In December she may be looking for Santa baby but in January through November she will have to look for something else, just as elusive, just as much a figment of imagination, just as empty as Christmas without Christ.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” and he will be called Jesus baby, Emmanuel, precious child. “Where is Santa baby?” my co-worker asked. Standing away from and hopefully very far behind Jesus baby. This conversation as I mentioned was not recent. It happened at least two years ago. Today that woman is more bitter and hardened than ever. She is difficult to speak to or be around. I feel so sorry for her. She has found Santa baby this year as she does every year at this time but she has yet to find the Wonderful Counselor that came to us as an innocent child. She embraces the profane and ordinary while ignoring the profound and sacred and it shows. My prayer for her, for you and for me is that this season, every season, we allow ourselves to seek and find Jesus, baby, man, and Savior. We can call him Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Holy One and he will call us his own.

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