The Season and the Redemption of the World

People used to fuss about Christians celebrating pagan rituals at Christmas.  Maybe some people
still do.  I remember wondering about that druidic, lit, house-central Christmas tree.  Could this be an act of false worship?

I remember wondering about holiday gatherings at the time of the Winter Solstice.  Could we be accidentally taking part in evil rituals?

I remember wondering about Mistletoe, Yule logs, Christmas Lights, certain odd songs, and even presents.  While claiming to be celebrating the Incarnation, were we unwittingly falling into ancient God-denying practices?

But I’ve come to realize something.  Romans 1 tells us that the CORE of God-knowledge is found in every human being.  And while those long-straying druids, Celts, and pagans had certainly moved FAR from the
gospel over the centuries, perhaps they were actually looking for something that they sensed was necessary and true.

The wonder at the evergreen could be an acknowledgement that mankind KNOWS that life should be eternal.  The gathering of friends and family during the longest nights could be caused by the awareness that it is not good for mankind to be alone.  The decorations and lights might be the result of our desire to make clean and beautiful what has become, through sin, dark and ugly.

I am not saying that the druids were secret Evangelists.

But I am saying that ‘all truth is GOD’S truth.’  I am saying that these reachings were the result of the human need for the gospel.  I am saying that while they might have been the result of centuries of rebellion,
they also were clearly a statement, however unintentional, of the basic truth that we need a Savior.

And perhaps most profound of all… while some of us get tired of hearing Christmas songs from October to January, we need to realize that we are hearing on every radio station across the country, the essence of
the gospel.  Even when sung by people who have no idea what they are singing.

Just like those druids.