John MacArthur in his Christmas book God With Us passed along this story:
I read a haunting newspaper story several years ago about a wealthy Boston family who had a christening party for their new baby. They invited all their friends and relatives to their magnificent home to celebrate the birth of their precious infant. A half hour into the party, when it was time to bring the baby out for everyone to see the mother made a tragic discovery. The large bed where she had left the baby asleep was piled high with the coats of the guests. The baby was lying dead underneath the mound suffocated by the carelessly discarded wraps.
The pathetic scene perfectly illustrates what he world has done to Christmas. Lost is the realization that Christmas is first of all a celebration of the birth of the Savior. He is all but forgotten, cruelly and thoughtlessly smothered in the haste and confusion.
Please understand, I’m not suggesting that our Christmas celebrations should be solemn, somber, grim religious observances utterly devoid of cheer. On the contrary, Christmas should be a time of real joy and gladness, as oppose d to the manufacture sentiment and wild revelry that characterizes the way the world observes Christmas.
Thanks for sharing this tragic story. I agree Christ is under all the stuff. I said, “Merry Christmas” to a lady and her daughter coming into the post office and she looked at me like I was stupid. Remember when even non Christians acknowledged Christmas as Christ’s birthday?