All That Glitters
By Neil M. Travis, Montana
We all have pondered what makes a fish take a shiny bauble as
if it were something edible. We add a bit of tinsel, a gold
bead, something - anything flashy to attract the attention of
a fish with the thought that the flash and glitter will turn
its head and open its mouth. It's all a fraud of course; a hoax,
a scam, a nasty fraud, intended to deceive a naíive fish, and no
harm done. How much like them are we; naíive and easily fooled
by what glitters?
It's Christmas time, and the entire world has gone off, like
an adolescent trout chasing a Parmachene Belle, a shiny bauble
offered by the skillful merchants of the world as a substitute,
a hoax, a scam, a nasty fraud, a poor substitute for the beauty
of the real thing.
It's not The Holiday Season, it's Christmas. It's not Xmas,
it's Christmas. They are not Holiday Trees, Holiday Gifts,
but Christmas Trees and Christmas Gifts. Without Christ in
Christmas there is no reason to celebrate, no reason for a
holiday, no reason for the season.
When the Grinch tried to steal Christmas he came to realize that
"it did not come from a store, maybe Christmas, he thought, was
a little bit more." Maybe Christmas is a little bit more than
presents, and trees, jolly old white-bearded men, reindeer, and
the gross national product. Maybe it's about a gift, not one that
comes from a store neatly wrapped in brightly colored paper and
tied up with ribbon, but a child born in a humble place some
2,000 years ago. Maybe it's about family, and friends, warm wishes,
and memories of the blessings of a life well lived.
This Christmas season it is my wish for all my readers that they
take the time to turn their hearts and their minds to the Christ
of Christmas. May this Christmas day find you in the company of
those that you love, and may you never forget the indescribable
gift that God gave to mankind on that first Christmas day. ~ Neil M. Travis, Montana/Arizona
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