One Score and Seven Years Ago

Once again, we come to the holiday season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice.

DAVE BARRY

Seven years ago I delivered a Christmas message to mostly young professionals during a church gathering . I talk about how we mythologize the birth of The Savior and how God through His grace nurtured and protected the lineage He had chosen to give birth to the Messiah based on the book God With Us-The Miracle of Christmas. It was spellbinding that it took me three hours to finish my exposition.(Yes, its three hours!-believe it or not). I remember asking a couple during dinner why they were so attentive despite the long message and they said ‘Boy, you made us hungry’ . Seven years has past and they never invited me again to speak (I bet you know why).
Recently, I discovered an essay What Christmas Means To Me written by C.S. Lewis . His personal views fifty years ago put up the shutters :

.... Long before December 25th everyone is worn out -- physically worn out by weeks of daily struggle in overcrowded shops, mentally worn out by the effort to remember all the right recipients and to think out suitable gifts for them. They are in no trim for merry-making; much less (if they should want to) to take part in a religious act. They look far more as if there had been a long illness in the house.

Let’s pull the plug on the world’s party…there’s a better way to celebrate Christmas.