Category: Culture

Christmas Symbols – Trees

Silva

“So, what is so special about trees and Christmas?”  I asked my ever-attentive family over our morning devotions.  Specifically, Christmas trees – evergreen trees.  I mean, how many of us have a Magnolia in our front room?  (What a mess; can’t stand those trees….)  No, we have evergreens sitting in our houses wrapped in lights and laden with ornaments.  What’s with that?

Trees are significant symbols.  At the earliest point in human history, we see special trees in the Garden: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9).  And at the cusp of the new era in the New Jerusalem sits again the tree of life (Revelation 22:4).  There it reads:

Then the angel showed me the river of water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.  The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Wow!  Trees are rich in meaning – ever thought of that?  But there’s more.  Really at no other time of year do we so zero in on a tree as we do at Christmas.  What does it mean?

First, trees do represent life as they have in the beginning and will at the end of time.  Christmas is about the Life of God the Son in human history.  How better to represent that life than by a tree that has always stood for life?  The center piece of our Christmas displays – the place where all the gifts are placed and around which we sit to celebrate – is the Tree.  How appropriate.  At the Tree we are face to face with new life, specifically the new Life that will bring new life to all who believe (John 1:12).

Second, our Christmas tree is an evergreen tree.  Evergreen’s are…always green.  Strange that we would choose such a tree to sit in the place of honor during Christmas.  You can get practical on me and say they are best for ornaments or that they smell nice or you like how they stay green, etc. etc.  Of course those things are true but they don’t quite satisfy.  We like evergreens for the same reason we like eternal life – it endures and will not end.  Ever-greens remind us that life with God is Ever-lasting.  If the tree represents life, then a tree that will always stay green represents a life that will not end.

Trees don’t just represent life.  Trees preeminently represent death as well.  Moses wrote of this symbology in Deuteronomy:

And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree but you shall bury him the same day for a hanged man is cursed by God.

Paul made this personal when he wrote in Galatians:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’

Ah – now we remember: the tree that represents life was the instrument of the Greatest Death in human history.  It is the place of cursing – where God comes against the one who is nailed to it; where He came against the One who was nailed there.  Without the tree, there would’ve been no cursed punishment of sins.  All along God intended to represent life by a simple tree and use it to kill the sins of His people by killing His Own Son on it.

Still, the tree is green – evergreen.  How do we unravel this?  The apostle Paul explains this symbolism in Romans:

You also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

All dead to sin or temporarily dead?  Am I free from sin’s condemnation for all time or just until I sin again?

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in  Christ Jesus.

  • I am ever-free from sin’s guilt in Christ.
  • I am ever-righteous before God in Christ.
  • I am ever-destined for glory in heaven in Christ.

Ever-green reminds me that what was done on my behalf abide in the annals of the universe forever.  The work of Christ was written with diamond stylus in indelible ink.

Sit around your trees and marvel that such a simple token could represent something so rich and full.  Don’t let its symbolism stay silent – consider does it represent life for you?  Does it represent the eternal death of your sins in Christ Jesus?

Evergreen trees at Christmas – so full and rich!

What should Christians do with Christmas Symbols?

Silva

I recently read a portion of a book written by Noel Piper (John Piper’s wife; he’s pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN).  In it, she talks about their own personal practice of excluding Santa from their celebrations.

She explains why they did it – her reasons made sense to me.  Things like presenting confusing or mixed messages to the children: it’s about Santa!  + it’s about Christ!  Parents often expect their kids will be able to figure out what’s real and what’s not….

Rather than comment on Noel and John Piper’s practice (which is theirs to do as they please), how about Christmas Symbols?

I began our family Advent devotions this morning after I spent some time considering the stockings hanging from our mantle….What do we do with them?  What do they mean?  What do I want my little ones concluding about them and why they appear there yearly?  I think I owe my children a framework to understand all the symbols – they need to be able to sort out the wheat from the chaff, no?

Let’s begin where I began with them: what’s the deal with all the Christmas lights?  A buddy cornered me yesterday and said, “Dude, have you seen my house?”  Um, not recently.  “I’m telling you, you’ve got to see what I’ve done with the decorations!”  Keeping up with the Joneses?  “Crushing the Joneses, dude.  Seriously, take a look!”

So, fully loaded with 14 eager eyeballs, we drove by his place.  We found a resplendent display of white Christmas lights!  I think he might’ve even had some lights not on but the ones that were lit were beautiful.  This morning, then, I asked the kids about Christmas lights – what are they for?  What do they mean?

Once I got past the typical responses (which were correct but…you know me…) I asked them about symbols.  “What does a stop sign represent?” I   asked.  My middle one said, “safety” (Ah, music to my ears…).  RIGHT!  It symbolizes safety when it is obeyed; even potential death when it is not.  I pointed out that many, many things are symbols of other things.  “And Christmas symbols mean special things.”

I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life – John 8:12

“What does light represent?  It is a symbol of what?”  Jesus!

Have you ever noticed how we wrap lights all around the Christmas tree?  Now, I’m not sure why I’ve been doing that all my life, but my wife has as well – maybe you do, too.  One could conclude that it is this way so that there is never a place you could stand and fail to see light.  Since light symbolizes Christ, the implication is that He can never be obscured – He can always been seen by those who look for Him.

I concluded the devotion by telling my kids that it isn’t just Christmas lights that represent Christ.  It is light, period.  Street lights, bathroom lights, oven lights, flood lights, stadium lights, sunlight, car head lights – any and every light is a reminder of the One who is the Light of the world.

Think about it.

Tomorrow, maybe trees and stockings.

When Language Becomes Worthless

Silva

I’ve observed in the last few years a shift in our communication.  Now, I’m not so sure it’s only been in the last few years (others would probably tell me it’s been longer) but I have certainly noticed it as it has invaded my circles.

Worthless language takes many forms.  I have observed that people say things that don’t actually say much at all.  In other words, if I have to ask you what you mean several times – over one statement – it is likely that what you said either was profoundly unclear or unintelligible. Now, of course the third option could be that I’m clueless (that’s always an option).  Let’s assume that I’m not.  (We have to assume something…)

Worthless language can be crude and curse-filled.  In that case, that language, while descriptive, is usually not helpful in advancing dialogue.

What I’m talking about in terms of useless language is user-defined language.  In other words, using words whose meaning is ultimately subjective or user-defined: it means what I say it means.

This language, as far as I’ve observed, is most prevalent when words that were previously used to describe physical ailments, and were at one time metaphorically used to describe our inner existence, crossed over into literal, inner descriptors.

Huh?

Here’s a popular one: “I’m hurt.”  What the speaker means is not something physical and measurable (like the yellow jacket stings I received yesterday) but some kind of inner experience that only the speaker knows about.

“I’m wounded”

“You’re unsafe”

“This relationship is unhealthy”

“That’s abuse”

“You hurt my feelings”

Each of these phrases depicts an inner, subjective experience that defies external definition.  In other words, there’s no real way to test, measure, or gage what the speaker really means.  And we all like it that way.

A problem with user-defined language is that once it is spoken, its meaning is both a secret and controlled by the user.  I have to figure out what you mean and if I don’t I can’t ever do anything to please you.  Maybe vindictive speakers like it that way; most probably don’t realize what’s happening.  But for the hearer, it is a kind of verbal servitude – you own me because you’ve used words that I’ve heard before but whose meaning you’ve defined.

I’m both stuck and beholden.

It didn’t use to be this way.  Formerly, language, while usable in different arenas had specific functions.  Now, those meanings have all been conflated – combined, condensed, melted-together.  And we’re all stuck.  If I’m hurt or you’re unhealthy, we’re slaves to each other until we figure out what the blazes that all means.

I have a better idea.  How about we don’t give a “tinker’s rip” about each others language and we agree instead on a common tongue.  When we talk about our inner experiences – what we think and value and believe – why don’t we adopt a time tested vocabulary and start from there?

The Bible.  The Bible provides for us both descriptive and prescriptive words.  It both describes and explains our inner experiences.  If, for example,  I experience a hardship at your hands, I can tell you that:

“I believe that your words were full of wrath and that you sinned against me” (see Colossians 3:8).

“You were slandering me to my friend and you sinned against me” (see same verse)

“You lied with your words and you sinned against me” (see Colossians 3:9)

“Your speech was obscene and it was offensive; you sinned against me” (see Colossians 3:8)

“Your words were harsh and unloving; you didn’t have my best interests in mind” (see Ephesians 4:15 and Philippians 2:4)

You see, when we use an external, neutral language that both describes and prescribes, things can happen. I can be held accountable and you can get some justice and mercy.  Do we not see that our culture’s current use of formerly physical language is ultimately unhelpful?  Throwing around terms like “abuse” and “safe” and “health” just don’t get us anywhere with each other.  (We’ve seen this for years in the ambiguity of pro-abortion argumentation standing on phrases like the “health of the mother” and then filling into “health” whatever ones wants.)

If you tell me that I’m not “safe” I have no idea what to do except what you tell me.  But, what if what you are telling me to do to be “safe” is contrary to the law of God?  In other words, what if you tell me that I must “stay away so that you can be safe” when in fact the Bible says that I must draw near to reconcile?  What do we do then?

When it comes to the language of blessing and the language of conflict, we cannot let ourselves devolve into subjective, user-defined, worthless speech.  Instead, we must humble ourselves and use the language of Another.  Then we will be able to assign a universal meaning and maybe we can reconcile.