The Carolina Compass, our Christmas gift to you
December is not just a time for gift-giving, but a gift unto itself. Even in most secularized households, the 25th is a day set apart — a time to believe in something beyond ourselves; a time to focus on something greater. Many are cynical and focus on the over-commercialized “Santa Claus-and-twinkle lights” aspects of this month, lamenting them as distractions away from the meaning of the season. Certainly they can be, but we must see them in full: In a society that has in so many ways become unmoored from its spiritual foundation, Christmastime calls everyone back to Christ.
December’s annual outpouring of love and charity forces the seeker to ask — why? Sentimentality? Silliness? Something to do?
Our culture may be spiritually wounded — but it is not dead. All the bells and all the bows are bringing us back to Bethlehem. All the cards and candy canes still call us to the Christ child. Although the season suffers excesses, even perversions — it is a celebration of giving, of selflessness, of joy and of love; as such, Christmas ever remains a clarion call ringing out to a hurting world. No matter how a piece of the good news arrives, it reminds us that there is joy and love beyond mere human comprehension, and it reinforces that, in the words of the old carol, “God is not dead, nor does he sleep.”
The Carolina Compass is our gift to you. We hope it becomes a trusted friend, a spiritual companion, a source not just of information, but of strength for your journey. Like the gifts of Christmas, we hope it is also a signal to the seeker. To those who are hurt, there is healing. To those with questions, there are answers. To those who don’t know anything about this month beyond the mall sales and jingle bells; there is a reason for the season. From our perspective, we think it is mighty special that we share a birthday with the savior of the world. We trust you’ll celebrate Him with us.
