This will just be a small post but no less of a Diamond. Camie and I just put up our Christmas Tree and as I was sitting there watching the lights I thought to myself "Why do we have Christmas Trees?" Boy was I surprised to find what Christmas Trees really represent. I had been told once that the evergreen was a symbol of humble worship because all the branches pointed upward. But the story I read on Christianitytoday.com was much better. It states that the Evergreen tree was a symbol of life in the midst of winter and that people cut branches off to honor the emporer. Early Christians didn't like this practice and condemned anyone who decorated their homes with evergreen trees. But then a legend started circulating that when Christ was born, every tree in the world miraculasly shook off any ice and snow and shot out new green shoots. But my personal favorite is the tradition that when Christ came to the world he had lordship over all of nature that had been previously used for pagan worship. Not only individual human beings, but cultures, symbols, and traditons could be converted. So this year when I look at the Christmas tree I will think of 1. that Christ is the true evergreen and offers life and hope. 2. That no matter what has happened in the past the evergreen and myself can be converted to worship the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Whatever the true story is behind the Christmas Tree, for me it is a symbol of Christ and any reminder we have of Christ is a Diamond to me.
