I have been watching a lot of Christmas programming over the last week or two on the television, as I expect most of you have.

Apart from the actual religious Christian channels the emphasis has been on the merry time we all should or will be having.

The presents, the food, the snowmen, the sleighs, the Ho Ho fat Santa Clauses,the drinks, the chocolates, the cooks, the new clothes, the hosts and hosts of merry silly songs and jingles, the hoards of Christmas advertising, the Christmas trees, etc.and some of this commenced even before Halloween.

I watched an ABC Christmas show that featured all the Disney characters hosted by Mickey Mouse. It was three hours long – a huge spectacular – full of dancing and singing. It had everything in the show, even a carol that was left until just before the end – almost an afterthought. And that wasn’t sung in full.

The huge thing missing from all of this is the birth of Jesus Christ.

Isn’t that the most important element of what Christmas is about?

What do our children think about Christmas as it is portrayed now?

Not one of the material things I have mentioned above will make them happy forever. The real meaning of Christmas will. So why is His message neglected? His message of love and why God sent Him into our world.

Seek God first, said Jesus, and the things you really need will be given to you.

We now worship in a church full of merchandise. The shopping malls, even the small ones we have here in Cayman, would appear to be our temples with altars showing enticing things to purchase, our scripture readings are not from the Holy Bible but catalogues via print and Internet and the sermons we hear and devour are from all the adverts that come to us via the television and radio.

I leave you with these words from Jesus (Matthew 6:19 -34) From NIV

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[a] your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[b] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[c]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

END

From Joan and myself, Georgina and Colleen, A VERY HAPPY AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS to each and everyone of you.