It’s mid-December. Christmas is everywhere.
Spotify playlists. Christmas photo cards arriving in the mail. Christmas gifts shipped.
My youngest once again has his 4Runner’s top decked out with Christmas lights ensuring you’ll never get lost following him to the restaurant.
Then there’s Santa Barney. As in Barney the purple dinosaur with a Santa hat on.
He showed up at our home over a decade ago. Not sure who dropped him off. Just that he’s been with us for a while. Ready to bring festive into the home whenever you let him out of his box.
Nothing about Barney screams Christmas. But add a Santa hat and instant ho, ho, ho.
Christmas is such that almost every piece of our culture wants in on the show.
Our consumer-centric heartbeat drives some of that. Everyone wants a piece of the Jesus money-pie.
But I suspect there’s more than that.
In spite of who won’t be with us…
In spite of the breakneck pace of the season…
In spite of the disappointment and pain of having to work that day and miss out on the festivities…
In spite of everything unhappy about this time of the year, Christmas offers timeless hope wrapped in a timeless Baby.
The story creates twinkling eyes and upturned lips.
It fills the lungs with breath like that Newborn Cry.
It moves from simple beginning to life-changing ending transforming the world and you and me in the process.
Google synonyms for Christmas, and “joy” and its close cousin “hope” pop up.
Everyone wants joy. Everyone needs hope. Christmas serves both up on a silver platter that’s been in the family for generations.
Even Barney wants in on that. So should you.