Bachillerato En Ciencias Y Letras

Where do traditions come from? Why is it “just not Christmas” without Christmas trees and colored lights and mistletoe? Without eggnog and Christmas cookies, and in my house: fudge. And we musthave snow on Christmas Eve. It’s in all the songs. It’s tradition.

Moving to Honduras has helped me to see what is “expected and necessary” and what is cultural tradition, as I am faced with awhole new culture’s traditions and expectations. One of the traditions I am challenged with at Christmas is the idea of wearing red.

Here it is tradition for babies to wear red to protect them fromcurses or “the evil eye” that someone might want to give to them. When I was pregnant I realized that even though our baby won’t be wearing red clothes to protect her, she would be “wearing red” by theblood of Jesus that covers her, which protects her from the evil that surrounds us. So even though we have a perfect red satin Christmas dress, we won’t be dressing Eva in it to make our ChristmasEve visits. Even though “Christmas colors” here are also red and green, we don’t want to send the wrong message about where our trust lies.

What are the ways that we show by our actions what webelieve? How do I show each day that I believe in the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, not just for the evil that surrounds me, but from the fleshly desires within me that have been crucifiedwith Christ on the cross? How do I reveal to those around me that I have based all my hope and trust in the One who was born to die, in the One who left perfect communion with the Father and Spirit tobe rejected by those he came to save? How do I live so that my friends and neighbors see the joy I have in suffering as Jesus did on the cross? How do I participate in the incarnation of Christ as Ilove and serve those around me, keeping the author and perfecter of my faith as the goal of my life?

As we wear red this Christmas, let us be covered by the blood of the Lamb that was crucified...