Iron Mountain ski jump

Iron Mountain ski jump

Friday, December 3, 2010

Christmas Contradictions

Christ In Winter: Reflections on faith from one who lives in the place of winter and the years of winter…

I went to Shop-Ko today. In a special bin of Christmas gift possibilities were both a pocket flask and an alcohol breath analyzer. I suppose they go together. If you drink from the flask, you ought to check your alcohol level before driving or doing surgery. Still, it struck me as a strange combination for a Christmas gift bin.

There are many strange combinations in life. There is an old saying that “politics makes strange bedfellows.” Of course, Christmas is itself a strange combination of Christian holyday and commercial extravaganza.

I think that is appropriate. Christians are called to be “in but not of the world.” We live in this strange world that is both sin-full and redeemed. We need to be able to celebrate the birth of Emmanuel, God-with-us, AT THE SAME TIME that we go to Shop-Ko to buy stocking stuffers.

I don’t think I’m going to get anyone a flask and a breath analyzer, though.

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