Since I was a little girl I have always loved the “Grinch Who Stole Christmas” animated story. (The 1966 version with Boris Karloff’s narration…thank you very much!) I still watch it now with my grown children. They know to silence phones, huddle on the couch together with our hot chocolate and marshmallows, turn the volume on the TV up (or whatever device we may be watching it on) and get ready to laugh, joke and of course, sing ALL the words to the Grinch’s dastardly witty theme song. It’s serious business.

The story itself is simple (and spoiler alert for any of you who haven’t seen the many versions of the Grinch saga)…the Grinch, consumed with anger, hatred and jealousy, steals all the Christmas goodies from the Whos (residents of Who-ville); all the packages, decorations and food and such, with the intention to spoil Christmas day for all.

What this daft green dude, and his little dog Max, don’t understand is that, for the Whos, Christmas really isn’t about stuff. Like the Whos, we, too, do stuff, and buy stuff and eat stuff and decorate stuff in “celebration” of Christmas! And hopefully, like them, we understand that this season is so much more than the stuff we do…and eat…and buy.

So why did I bring all of this up? To point out that our world is like Who-ville, where we live and connect. And the things going on in it can sometimes look like the Grinch, that evil, conniving, judgemental spirit that thrives on destruction and division.

We see the Grinch in our news feeds, spewing bad tidings and fear. He’s on our social media platforms, judging harshly and cancelling those he doesn’t agree with. He’s in our homes, our offices and our churches…grumbling, moaning and cursing. And if we Whos aren’t careful, he’ll take up space in our hearts, wreaking disappointment, hurt, depression and bitterness.

BUT, I would be remiss if I did not point out that by the end of the Grinch story, the Grinch himself learns the importance of Christmas. His heart grows more loving as a result and he is redeemed into a kind and hopeful creature. He was transformed by the truth of the holiday. That Jesus, born into a world of darkness, brought light, joy, peace and salvation to those who would receive Him. Christmas is far more than a day to give gifts, turn on decorations, travel to be with loved ones and eat feasts…it is a day to remember the birth of the One whose sacrifice paid a dear price so that we could be free and have a restored relationship with our Heavenly Father. His name is Jesus. And He is the reason for the season.

Let us join in celebration and lift our hearts toward each other and to Him Who Loved Us First: Jesus, our Lord!

Have a wonderful Christmas…until next post. vw1.