Dear editor,

If personal faith plays a major role in a family's life, their observance of Jesus's birthday will reflect their beliefs. But all too often, we see people drifting away from celebrating Christmas for its true meaning.

Whether through indifference, ignorance or deception, culture is heading down the path of least resistance ― away from God and all that is sacred.

The prevailing attitude today, even in some churches, is that Christmas is secular rather than religious. There is frequently more interest in exchanging gifts than in sharing the good news of this special day.

Many people prefer the more ``tolerant'' word holiday as a substitute for Christmas. But believers should not think this way. As Christ-followers who realize that our eternal future is in the Savior's hand, we need to know and demonstrate the difference between a holiday and a holy day.

Christmas is a commemoration of the historic moment when God became man in order to live among us. The creator and sustainer of life died on a cross so that we could live sinless before the Father.

If we have experienced the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, we certainly have cause to celebrate. And we have reason to share our faith with as many people as possible ― in that way, their joy on this day can be as full and rich as our own.

We cannot allow ourselves to drift into a materialistic view of Christmas along with the rest of the world. In a month of colored lights and glowing candles, we should be burning brighter than ever as His lights to the world.

Gilbert J. Siscar
trebsiscar@yahoo.com