Good reads for Christmas

For fun Christmas reading this season, I highly recommend John Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas,” or Maeve Binchy’s “This Year It Will Be Different.” For a more thought-provoking read, however, I suggest Charles Dickens’ short story, “A Christmas Tree.”

On goodreads.com, this short story earns a rating of only 2.7 on a five point scale, reflecting the reality that the story is more thought-provoking, rather than enjoyable. But, because I wish you and  yours a Blessed Christmas, rather than just a Merry Christmas, I encourage you to read this story and to consider what meaning a Christmas tree might have for us.

“A Christmas Tree” was published in 1850 at a time when the Christmas tree tradition was strong in Germany, but not yet the fad that it has become in the 21st century. Dickens was showing some English readers a first look at this Christmas tradition.

Many Christians complain about the secularization of Christmas, and rightly so. Yet, it is worth considering the Christmas tree, and allowing it to point us to the mystery of the ages. From the closing words of the story, “This, in commemoration of the law of love and kindness, mercy and compassion. This, in remembrance of Me!”

I suggest, after you have put up your decorations and prepared your mulled cider that you read Dickens’ “A Christmas Tree,” and allow this sacred writing to draw your heart and mind to remember and contemplate the mystery of all mysteries, the mystery of the ages.