Take a moment from the Christmas rush to remember the baby born in a manger | Opinion

In a few days, we will celebrate one of the holiest days on the calendar — Christmas Day.

As I look forward to commemorating the birthday of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I am a bit sad when I think of how commercial the holy day has become. It seems that too many people want to celebrate Christmas for all the wrong reasons.

Don’t get me wrong — it is a good thing to give gifts, to reach out to loved ones and the unfortunate, to make someone’s Christmas a bit brighter. But in our giving, let us not forget that first Christmas when our Father gave the world its greatest gift — the gift of Jesus, who, if we let Him, will teach us how to love as He does.

I love this season of the year. I love the Christmas pageants and the bright lights and the music. Why, I could sing Christmas carols all year long. I never seem to get tired of hearing the heartwarming refrain of “Silent Night, Holy Night.”

I suppose it has something to do with my faith. I really do believe that Jesus is the reason for this season. I believe in the story of Christmas and the Virgin Birth, which produced Jesus — the Son of God. I believe in the Bible, which tells me that:

“… For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

I am so happy that I am a “whosoever” believer. I am thankful that God had me, and you, on His mind when He sent Jesus into the world to show us how to love, how to live truthfully and how to be joyful, even in the times of trials.

Recently, my own faith and my joy in the Lord was put to a test. I learned that even when you grieve, the joy of the Lord Jesus and His peace will lift a standard for you to keep moving.

With His peace and joy to comfort you, trials don’t seem as great, and through the tears that you might sometimes shed, you will yet be able to see the light of the Lord gently leading you, guiding you to a peaceful place. I speak from experience. I have learned that while following Jesus’ example isn’t hard, it does take faith.

So, while I think about the soon-to-come Christmas Day, I am also thinking about the message of humility it teaches. It was by divine plan that Jesus was born in a stable and placed in a manger in a little town called Bethlehem.

His humble beginning was a message to us all — great and small: The King of kings knows how to reach each of us. He gets us. This time of the year also seems to bring out the best in people. Stony hearts become softer, and the spirit of giving seems to overflow as we reach out to others.

I guess this is one of the reasons why I love this season of the year. People are kinder, gentler, and more forgiving during the Christmas season. This is a good thing. But it would be even better if each of us lived out the Christmas spirit, not just for now but to carry it over into the new year and beyond.

I understand that it might be rather hard for some to believe in peace and goodwill when so many people are suffering. I am reminded of the people in Kentucky and surrounding areas, who are still digging out from the rubble in the aftermath of one of the most devastating storms to ever hit the area. Yet, there can be peace, even in the destruction. And there is.

Believing in peace and goodwill doesn’t mean there won’t be problems and pain in our lives. It simply means that the giver of peace will comfort us and help us through whatever we are going through.

Making it a habit to pursue peace and goodwill sort of grows on you. You will find that the more you believe in the peace that surpasses all understanding, the better you feel. You will find that it is contagious, that it can actually rub off on some others. Sadly, though, not everyone will accept the peace of the Lord. But, happily, some will.

Since the tornadoes hit our neighbors in the Midwest, I have read and heard some of the most heartwarming stories about acts of faith about people who survived the storm. One was about a man who removed the rubble from the piano in his home, one of the few remaining items the tornado hadn’t destroyed, then sat down and played a hymn of praise to the Lord. That is the kind of peace I’m talking about. That is the kind of peace that Jesus came to bring.

I know that everyone will not accept the peace that Jesus was born to give us. And those who will accept it will not go skipping off to a peaceful, trouble-free world.

It does mean that if each believer shares the true story of the Prince of Peace with someone else, somehow, someway, some of the story will stick. We will all be the better for it.

A blessed and Holy Christmas to you all. And may the peace of the Lord be with us all now, and throughout the coming year.

Curtiss Mansion celebration

The community is invited to a “Global Winter Celebration” from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Christmas Day, at the Curtiss Mansion, 500 Deer Run in Miami Springs.

The event is being presented by the Curtiss Mansion in partnership with D. Richardson Productions and will feature holiday traditions from around the world with live performances and cultural exhibitions.

Tickets are $12 per person and parking is $5.

Menachem Begin documentary

The Young Israel Congregation invites the community to view the documentary “Upheaval: A Journey of Menachem Begin” at 8 p.m. Jan. 1 at 9580 Abbott Ave. in Surfside. Tickets are $25 each for members and $36 for non-members and can be purchased at www.yicbh.org.