Christmas Without Christ

I don't have to tell anyone that the Christmas season is a rushed, hectic and stressful time of year. It is amazing what we (as a society) have turned Christmas into. I'd dare say that for most people, Christmas really has nothing to do with Jesus anymore. This fact is pretty obvious, but the harshness of this reality hit me like a bat upside the head a couple of nights ago. I was sitting listening to the school choir that my daughter sings in perform their Christmas concert. They were singing a Christmas song that speaks clearly about the birth of Jesus. As I scanned over the choir, my eyes happened upon one young lady who is a professing atheist who will confront Christians in a heartbeat trying to bait them into an argument over the existence of God. Her face was just beaming as she sang this song, so I just had to ask her about. The next day I found the opportunity and asked her about that song (and others) and what it meant to her. She said it was nothing, just some beautiful music, nothing more. She had to get her dig in and she made a comment as to how sad it is that "you people" have to depend on such a crutch. I refused to get into the debate at that moment and told her we'd make that dance another day. I walked away feeling so heart broken for her. It's a terrible thing being lost, but it is even worse to be lost and not know it. That's where she and her family are. As I got back in my van, I looked at the others around me and I realized that odds were that the vast majority of those that I could see at that moment were lost, wandering aimlessly and without hope. Most of them were and are so excited that Christmas time is here, but they are missing the meaning for the whole thing. They are celebrating Christmas... but leaving out the Christ... the Messiah, the Savior.
What a terrible waste of time, money... and life.
They are ignoring or oblivious to the answer to all of life's questions... exchanging it for parties, fancy paper and gifts that will be mostly forgotten a month from now.

I pray that some how, some way, they discover the Christ child during this holiday season and they find out just why he came... to seek and to save that which is lost.