for 23 DEC 06: LOVE, LIGHTS AND LIES

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find this item humorous, serious, or a little of both - but we offer these thoughts from time to time, as we keep a seventh-day Sabbath.)

We talked about Hanukkah here last Saturday, so perhaps it's only fair that we give an e-mailer equal time for, uh, that other event:

Go to LudysChristmas.com and see the house in Cottonwood Plantation...the lights blink to music..be sure and turn on the car radio...Also, a yard of decorations on street behind Mellow Mushroom used the local water tower to project Christmas scenes on....A child's wonder land is on a quiet little street ,Oak Circle. off University by Bent Tree office building.

These grandparents start getting things ready on Thankgiving..I just love the lights! Whew..would hate to pay their Ga Power bill..

Scenes like these may be the only things which qualify Columbus for the phrase: "bright lights, big city."

Several people in my apartment complex have put up colorful lights for this time of year. In fact, my neighbor two doors down has blinking electric "candles." I finally figured out Thursday night that they're the reason for the occasional buzzing and horizontal lines across my TV screen.

(Which reminds me - Instant Message to whomever set up the light show on the Phenix City Riverwalk: I hope I'm not the first to break this news to you. But do you realize your "North Pole" lights are at the south end of the walkway?)

One person in my apartment complex went all the way this week, and put a six-foot-tall inflatable "Santa Claus" in the courtyard. It's curious to me how Santas and outdoor "snow globes" are giant-sized, while nativity scenes tend to be almost in miniature.

If you want to display lights outside your home, that's your business - but why not leave them up all year 'round, instead of bringing them down at the end of the month? Restaurants such as the Buckhead Grill do that. And the extra lights might be a clever way to reduce the crime rate.

But when people put up giant Santa Claus balloons, they've crossed a line with me. They seem to be truly "sold out" to keeping Christmas -- but they seem to be sold out in the wrong direction. For one thing, I don't think Santa Claus invented the holiday....

I'm going to assume for a moment the readers of this blog are older than age seven. I do this to talk plainly about Santa Claus - not to do what another local blogger is doing right now, and talk about swear words.

While shopping at a store this week, I heard a December classic on the P.A. system: "Here Comes Santa Claus/ right down Santa Claus Lane." I haven't found such a street in Columbus - but if they can name one after Mayor Bob Poydasheff, it could happen someday.

Usually I'd turn off such a song on the radio. But you can't do that inside a store - and that forced me to consider the last line of the song: "Let's give thanks to the Lord above, 'cause Santa Claus comes tonight." Now hold on a minute. We should thank the Lord God, for a lie people tell to children?! The God who according to the book of Proverbs hates "a lying tongue?"

While the Bible says God hates lies, it also says He loves us. He loves us so much that He gave a Son to us - and in case you aren't aware, His name was NOT Nicholas. It wasn't even "Nick at Nite."

While I don't agree with the day which most people keep to mark the birth of Jesus, I agree that it was an amazing gift. In fact, it was a gift of "the truth" as opposed to a lie - and a true "light of the world." This light could lead you to change your use of the TV set, far beyond your neighbor's plug-in decoration.

Here's hoping you understand and appreciate this heavenly gift, and why it's so amazing. The reason goes far beyond a manger in a barn. There's a worship song which says it simply, and says it well:

You came from heaven to earth, to show the way.

From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay.

From the cross to the grave - from the grave to the sky,

Lord, I lift Your name on high.

COMING SUNDAY: A clarification from someone senior at WRBL.... and our review of 2006 events resumes....

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