I’ve watched several movies this Christmas season – the syrupy kind running on the Hallmark channel.  I’d be the first to admit they are not good literature, but I like them, because they are about the only thing you can find close to the romantic tradition on TV nowadays.  (You know, in the tradition of Love Story or She Lives!)  The plot’s always (in a generic way) the same – boy meets girl, they go through trying times, and something about Christmas pulls them together and makes everything right.  But what’s so interesting is, the “something about Christmas” is always values such as “family” or love or forgiveness.  I know the world seldom works that way.  But you know what?  It can.

The values being touted are not unique to Christmas.  Instead, they are the values found in the Bible and preached every Sunday in pulpits around the country.  But culture only finds it acceptable to promote those values when disguised as Christmas values.  Well, they are values associated with Christmas, because they are indeed based on the God that came to earth then.  But why are those values only embraced (by most) for six weeks out of the year?  I can show you many examples of how living those values all year can lead to peace, happiness and contentment year ‘round.  He’s not only the reason for the season, He’s what holds the rest of the year together also.

Merry Christmas, to all who read this!

• Christian Culture