Christmas and the hock shop

Ive read some nice things people in recovery have written about Christmas: How grateful they are that they are sober and have a life. And thats nice.

For me, Christmas time growing up was fun, and I liked the presents and festive atmosphere. I grew up in a secular home and it was about Santa, Rudolph the Red-nose reindeer,Frosty the Snowman and White Christmas.


It has a bit more meaning to me now. After having lived a life of great sin and suffering Ive realized a few things. First of all, I realize I never made a choice to be a sinner. I was born a slave to sin. Born into a living hell you might say. So were you I might add.


I also realize that the sin nature I was born with is an inheritance from the first man although I doubt I can prove it to you. I know I had that proclivity to judge (play God) from the first time cruelty attacked me with its sting. I didnt have to be taught how to hate: it was my nature.


Ive heard it described different ways. I sometimes use the example of a car manufactured with a defect. If it was made right from the factory it would run right. Well, I never ran right. Christian Theologians probably have a fancy name like the Doctrine of Original Sin or something like that, but thats how I think of it.

A minister friend of mine uses the example of being born in the Hock Shop, and I like that. Born in the hock shop. Trouble is that everybody else is born in the Hock shop too. Except One.

The Virgin Birth of Christ makes sense to me. He is the one born with a differnt Father than us. And he paid the price to redeem us out of the hock shop. And somehow,mysteriously,through belief in him and repentenance of our desire to be God we can be granted a full pardon and be given a new nature. Thats a lot more meaningful to me than Santa, Rudolph, Frost, or even a sober Christmas.

I passed by a Church with a sign outside it yesterday. I nodded my head in agreement as I passed by. It said:


The greatest Christmas Gift came wrapped in a Manager.

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