Colors have associations. Chances are, you have some idea of what I might mean by a Green Christmas.
The most popular meaning of green these days is “environmentally friendly.” A “Green Christmas” might mean using recycled wrapping paper printed with soy-based inks, or finding gifts that help reduce your carbon footprint. But this is not what I mean.
Ironically, some might dream of an eco-friendly Christmas because they fear a “Green Christmas,” that is, one devoid of snow due to global warming. Although I would not mind being free from shoveling snow, this is not what I mean either.
Green is also the color of money. Does a “Green Christmas” mean a large haul of cash? No, that’s not what I’m dreaming of.
Along the same lines, green is associated with envy. Maybe I’m hoping to make other people green with jealousy at the gifts that I receive, or am able to give. But that doesn’t seem right, does it?
No, it’s simpler than that. I’m just thinking of the color of holly leaves and fir trees, of the Tannenbaum that we’ll decorate. Green is the color of life, and boughs of evergreens in the middle of winter’s snows have represented the hope of new life for thousands of years. Regardless of the origin of this custom (often attributed to pagan, pre-Christian Romans), we have appropriated it to symbolize the arrival of our Savior, who truly gives us hope for eternal life.
Sin separates us from God. Whether it’s a desire to accumulate more greenbacks or to make others green with envy, whether it’s a disregard for the proper care of God’s Creation or the opposite green extreme of worshiping the environment rather than the Creator, we have all fallen short. We desperately need to be rescued from darkness.
I do hope we have a White Christmas (“just like the ones I used to know”), for purely sentimental reasons. But much more important than the snowfall is a reminder that there will be an end to the cold darkness of our world. Evergreens point us toward springtime, but also beyond—to life and hope in Christ, who takes away our sin and reconciles us to God. Have a Merry and Green Christmas!
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The green Christmas I dream of is one where it's in the upper 70s or low 80s and I'm on a beach (too many years of living in upstate New York have made me hate the idea of snow). But any Christmas that reminds us of Christ's great gift is the best of all, regardless of color. Thanks for reminding me of that.
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