In a charming Alpine-like village called Helen in northern Georgia, I stumbled upon a large red sleigh that looked like it was a major crime scene - yellow tape and all.
It was a portal because many violent murders are ones of passion.
I don’t believe it’s in most people’s minds to run over the Baby Jesus with Santa’s sled. But that’s exactly what has happened.
“I Believe” signs and plaques dot every Christmas shop. The trouble is most of these have images of Santa or the North Pole.
A passion-crime has been stirred up as folks try to outdo one another with red caps at office parties, ridiculous reindeer in their front yards and gigantic sleighs in places like Helen - voted the “Best Christmas Village” in America.
Somehow, this growing movement has not only overshadowed the incarnation, it’s basically guilty of a major crime.
It’s fairly easy to become an accomplice.
PORTAL TO HEAVEN: What’s happened to Christmas is what’s happening to theology. The moment something even shares the focus with Jesus, or worse yet, is substituted for our substitutionary servant, blood is on the hands of the murderer in a manner not dissimilar to the intent of Herod.
Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end…But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost…As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;…teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain…instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. Hebrews 12:2 GNT, 2 Corinthians 4:3 KJV, Ephesians 4:14 NIV, Titus 1:11 NASB, 1 Timothy 1:3,4 NASB