Since Recession Christmas is almost here, I hope we’re all ready to play a Yuletide game normally reserved for impoverished college students and gambling addicts — Christmas Cash Reimbursement. In case you’re not familiar, this is the game where you pile up all the Christmas money people gave you as gifts and then watch your joy melt into a puddle of sorrow as you remember that you won’t actually be able to use it for anything other than paying off the debt you incurred earlier that month. Were you looking forward to taking the 300 bucks your parents gave you to buy a Roomba? Too bad. You still owe 300 bucks on the Roomba you bought your parents.
While Recession Christmas may prevent us from rejoicing in the annual ritual of post-Christmas “Treat Yo Self,” there is one very obvious and very free gift we can all give ourselves this Christmas season. It’s Christ Jesus, the Son of God, revealed to us in the words of the Holy Scripture. If you wish to give yourself peace, hope, and joy this Christmas season, give yourself the gift of reading the Bible.
How can we do this? While Americans have developed a rather curious habit of celebrating Christmas from 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 1 until nap time on Dec. 25, liturgically speaking, Christmas is a 12-day celebration that begins on the evening of Dec. 24 and lasts until Jan. 5. Therefore, it’s good, right, and salutary to make time every day of the Christmas feast to feast on God’s Word. And while any portion of Scripture is always worthy of your attention, it’s fitting to spend the Christmas season focusing on the majesty of the Christmas story, the story of God taking on flesh to become our Brother and be our Savior. Here’s a guide for doing exactly that:
