I have spent the day thinking on the truly ineffable concept that God actually came to earth to live in the frail form of man, suffering the limitations and trials that life offers, in order to die for us.

It is strange, I think, that an arbitrary day was chosen to celebrate His birth. It is even stranger that in celebrating His birth, the focus in on a manger, visitors, and gifts. I believe the focus should be on why He came: to die. In order for us to have eternal life, Jesus Christ had to die. In order for Him to die, He had to be born.

Knowing the horror of that death, the agony and heartache He would endure, how then could we--those of us who are Christians--turn Christmas into a time of commercial exchange? Does an iPod represent the magnitude of the gift God gave us in Jesus Christ? Does a bicycle stand as a reminder of His sacrifice?

The wisemen brought gifts in honor of His birth. They saw the signs. They suspected something was special about Him, whether or not they understood He was the Son of God. Later on, a woman gave another gift to honor Christ: she washed His feet with her hair and oil that may very well have cost her everything she had. She sacrificed of herself to the One who was soon to give the ultimate sacrifice. How does a Play Station 3 compare with that?

Oh, how I like presents. Anyone who knows me, knows that I most enjoy giving presents and receiving them. Frankly, I think the best gifts are given "just because"--not for an "occasion." For a while now, however, I have wanted to eschew all gifts at Christmas. I have wanted this time to be a time of reflection on the magnitude of the presence of Jesus Christ in this world rather than who gave whom what.

But...how do you go against the mighty commercial machine that this holiday has become?

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NOTE: Am I a hypocrite because I plan to watch the Cowboy game tomorrow? If this really is not the actual day of Christ's birth, does it matter? After all, this time of Winter Solstice has long be a time of pagan celebrations marked by drunkeness, revelry, and debauchery. Consider the Romans holiday of Saturnalia. Should Christians really have chosen this time to mark the birth of Christ? Perhaps February 25th might have been a better date? You know, understanding the tendency of man toward idolatry, it is no surprise that God has not made it evident exactly what day of the year His son was born. Still, worship in the wee hours of the morning for me, then gobbling sumptious food, then football revelry. What sort of day is that???????