Evergreen Idol Or Reason For The Season?

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The Mirror

by Bill Fortenberry

Not long after Thanksgiving, I’ll go up into the attic of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do and pull down an artificial evergreen and stand it good” (Jeremiah 10:3-5). up beside the fireplace in our living room. Next will Thankfully, Jeremiah isn’t talking about Christmas come several boxes of rustic decorations in red-and-black trees. He’s talking about idols, but there is good reason to buffalo plaid, stars of jute and wood, tin snowflakes, and an meditate on his words this time of year. assortment of ornaments my wife and I have collected over For many people in our world, Christmas trees have our 27 years of marriage. become idols. Families skip right by the celebration of

At night, we’ll light a fire, turn on the white Jesus’ birthday. Instead, the beautiful tree has become an Christmas tree lights, and watch every Hallmark altar, where gifts are laid at its base in anticipation of movie and Christmas classic we can find. In the quiet personal pleasure. moments, I’ll sometimes sit in front of the tree and We exchange gifts too, but I have made it reflect on the real Christmas story. a point to make sure that our home tells the

Our cabin-themed tree replaced a tree Christmas story. Those stars are the star in the decorated primarily in silver-and-gold mercury east. The red is a reminder that Jesus shed his glass and, before that, a tree decorated in a blood for us. The black is a reminder of the hodgepodge of ornaments purchased to dark night that came alive with an angel commemorate costumes our kids wore for chorus: the snowflakes, an allusion that Halloween, big life moments, favorite pets, though our sins were scarlet, we are and schoolroom crafts. now white as snow.

There was a time when I was hesitant In the decorating and in the to put up a tree. I loved the beauty and the rare quiet moments, it’s good to celebration, but when I was a boy, the have a reminder of what we’re church we attended used a passage from celebrating. If your tree doesn’t Jeremiah 10 to question the practice do that for you, if Christmas is of decorating Christmas trees. Sure one long gift-and-entertainingenough, it sounds a lot like our fest with no Messiah, I holiday tradition: challenge you to hit the

“A tree from the forest is cut pause button. down and worked with an axe Has your Christmas by the hands of a craftsman. tree become an idol, or They decorate it with silver is it a reminder that and gold; they fasten it with a Savior was born: hammer and nails so that it the Prince of Peace, cannot move. Their idols the Wonderful are like scarecrows Counselor, God in a cucumber field, with us? and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for 36 // December 2020 they cannot walk. Do not be afraid About The Author Bill Fortenberry worked 17 years as a newspaper reporter, editor and columnist, and has worked in healthcare communications since 2001. Bill serves as the chairman of the board of managers of Haven Health Clinic for Women and is a men’s ministry leader and small group facilitator at his church, HBC Rome. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children, Ethan and Autumn. A storyteller at heart, Bill writes an occasional blog at kudzudad.blogspot.com.

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