I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas music, at least if you can call some of it music. This is a dreadful time of year to go to a public school music program, listen to the radio, or shop in many stores. The thing I cannot stand is the banality that passes for seasonal music in this hypersensitive age. Either celebrate Christmas and celebrate it boldly or cease to observe it altogether, do not inflict upon us the pathetic attempts at music that comprise the body of politically correct Christmas music. Either we celebrate the Christ-child's birth or we do not. Songs about snowmobiles, happy Christmas trees, hippopotamuses, and incisors are all well and good on occasion but they do not a Christmas make! There is nothing worse than sitting through your child's 'winter concert' and listening to such songs. If you are going to sing, sing well! Find something well written and a joy to listen to, rather than some mediocre song that happens to mention snow and hope we find it seasonally applicable.
I love the old hymns, they are wonderful musically, poetically, and theologically but are far too often overlooked during this season, even by those who have the most to celebrate. The modern christian Christmas songs also tend to drive me crazy for they are none of the above in most cases. There are a few good, newer songs out there but most are as trivial and repetitive as their secular counterparts, being a mere rehashing of happy family moments, seasonal bliss, and joy at the beloved birth set to unremarkable music. Again, if one must sing, sing well!
I enjoy songs like Winter Wonderland and Sleigh Ride, but they are played so often on the regular radio stations and in stores that one quickly comes to detest them and look forward longingly to New Year's Day! It is hard to find a good, seasonal song that insults no one with mention of that reprehensible event we wish to avoid mentioning but for which the season was originally celebrated! I would rather not celebrate Christmas than celebrate it badly. I almost wish the secularists would have their way and completely eradicate the secular observance of Christmas and leave it to those who actually have something to celebrate. The atheist is insulted to have Christ mentioned in his hearing this time of year; I am insulted when we are told to celebrate Christmas but leave out 'the reason for the season.' It is like trying to celebrate the 4th of July but avoiding mention of anything about America, the Revolution, freedom, or patriotism for fear of insulting someone. It completely negates the purpose! So it is with these half-baked attempts to celebrate Christmas without Christ. There just is no meaning left in the word or the season.
We celebrate love, joy, peace, and family (or should) on this particular holiday and none of these concepts are inspired by 'Frosty the Snowman' or 'Grandma got run over by a reindeer.' What inspires these feelings: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:8-11 KJV).
There are many holidays this time of year, for many religions and cultures, celebrating many and varied things but only one celebrates the advent of peace and joy on Earth. Perhaps we can celebrate the Winter Solstice as was popular before the advent of Christianity in the Western world? I do not know what the answer is, only that we have lost the heart of the season and our songs suffer thereby. We wish to celebrate something, but the true reason to celebrate is not free, it comes at a cost. To accept this peace, this joy, we must accept this Gift God has offered and that means we must ourselves be changed and that we do not like. But ever has this been the feelings of men, it is not a new idea. Ever has it been that we know better than He that made us. Ever has the idea been offensive, even millennia before Christmas was annoying atheists. We must either accept or deny this 'Rock of Offense and Stone of Stumbling.' This celebration of something we deny is ridiculous! We want the celebration without the sacrifice and that cannot be. So let us truly celebrate with music worthy of the occasion or give up the idea altogether.
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