Are you amused or are you amazed?

Amusement: An activity that is diverting and that holds the attention.  A pastime, play, game, anything which pleasantly diverts the attention.

Amazement: a feeling or sense of great surprise, awe, or wonder.

I was watching a “Christmas Special” movie with Caroline the other night.  It was a beautiful, western, country setting.  The fire crackling in the log home, yummy Christmas goodies, Christmas dinner with all the fixens, snow gently falling in the mountains, a huge Christmas tree with gifts. 

The movie also contained other scenes which included family arguments and dysfunction, a blizzard, an avalanche, a broken furnace, and emotional memories of missing family members.  The movie and acting were done well enough to hold our attention. 

However, unfortunately, this “Christmas Special” focused completely on the world, both its beauty and brokenness.  No hint of the ancient origins of this “holiday”, its original meaning and purpose, its spiritual impact, or how the One born that original day is personally involved in both the beauty and the brokenness in our world. 

It was a distracting amusement.  There was, sadly, no amazement.

The biblical account of the origins this celebration we call “Christmas” describes ordinary people who were not amused by what they had heard and seen but were truly amazed.  So amazed that they had to tell others.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  Luke 2:17,18

So…are you amused or are you amazed?  Perhaps, like me, you have taken the time to watch a Christmas Special Movie, but have you taken the time to read the historical, biblical account of the amazing birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world?  The movie will amuse, it will distract.  The biblical account will amaze.  Read Luke 2:1-20 to begin your amazing journey.

My Christmas prayer for you is that your celebration does contain some amusement, some distraction from the brokenness and worldly dysfunction.  I pray your celebration includes a warm, crackling fire in the fireplace, Christmas goodies, a beautiful tree with gifts, the love and warmth of family and friends.  I pray you are spared the blizzard, the avalanche, the difficult memories, the family arguments, and the broken furnace.

But do not let either the beauty or the brokenness of this world distract you from your ability to be amazed. 

Merry Christmas!  Be blessed!  Be in awe! Be amazed!

Mike