The only time I read USA Today is when I get it free at a hotel. Probably like you, I get my news from the websites I check each day.
It’s interesting, though, that whenever I do get this paper, I’m impressed that I can always find articles that are interesting and relevant to me.
Monday’s edition (12/20/10) had an article about a recent survey done to find out how people view Christmas. The survey, conducted by LifeWay Research, said nine out of ten Americans celebrate the holiday, no matter if they are Christian, Atheist, Jewish or Muslim.
It seems as though most skip the religious side of this holiday, however, and instead focus on family and friends. Only 37% said that Christmas was a time to focus on Jesus/God.
Of those in the 18-29 age range, more than half (56%) say their Christmas is primarily religious, but three in four (74%) told LifeWay (the group conducting the survey) that the things they enjoy most about the Christmas season “have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus.”
So as we make our final preparations for Christmas, what are you focusing on? Is attending a Church service part of your plans? What’s most important for you?
My friends, there would be nothing to celebrate if it weren’t for an event that took place over 2,000 years ago in a small town called Bethlehem.
I liked this quote from John Lindell, a pastor from Ozark, Missouri, which was at the end of the article. He said,
We believers put Christ in Christmas by how we care for others and give people chances to change their lives. It isn’t what we do in December, it’s what we do the other 11 months of the year that matters.
What do you think?