Keep the spotlight on the central figure

The stage is crowded with the cast of Christmas.

 There’s Clarence earning his wings … Charlie Brown and his single-ornament needle-less tree … Frosty being chased through town by local law enforcement … Ebenezer Scrooge turning his life around … George Bailey and his Christmas bailout … Rudolph and his collision-avoidance beacon of a nose …

 And what about Bing Crosby’s crooning … and the star-following wise men … and Ralphie’s frozen tongue. There’s the Grinch who tried to steal the joy of others … and sundry shepherds with looks of astonishment …

Present also are dancers, bit players of every description, producers and directors and instrumentalists. There are singers who sing high and singers who sing low and singers who know how to blend their voices to make any scene look better.

But always, regardless of audience or venue … center stage, under the brightest spot in the house … sits a rough, hewn manger containing a tiny Baby with an incredible alias “Christ the Lord!”

The others can make us laugh or cry or ponder. They can entertain or frighten or bring a smile to our face. But only the Baby can save us!

God’s love made Christmas possible. Our sins made it necessary.

Without God’s Gift sitting center stage, there is no meaning to all the rest. There’s no story to tell, no truth to convey, no reason for joy. It’s all dependent upon the arrival of the Baby and the implementation of God’s plan behind this heavenly arrival.

–       The emphasis on gift-giving is set in motion by God’s extraordinary Gift.

–       Our pre-occupation with lights only mirrors the entrance of the Light of the World having come.

–       We sing throughout the season only because there’s something to sing about.

–       We bask in the glow of the season because God’s love has been felt.

Let all the others play their roles and say their lines. It’s fine to enjoy their contributions. Just don’t forget to keep the Main Player in the brightest light!

Merry Christmas! Enjoy the journey and this seasonal stop of celebration.