Lots of Christmas memories involve the Christmas tree.
My friend Ben tells of how he and his brother would gather up the Christmas trees their neighbors had discarded the week after Christmas. The enterprising boys would then take them over to the Greek neighborhood in his hometown to sell them cheap to the Orthodox believers who celebrated Christmas in early January.
During most of my childhood, my parents stored all our Christmas decorations in an old, dark blue muffler box. All the ornaments fit in that one box. That box lasted for years. Today, boxes for storing decorations come in all shapes and sizes. There are even special boxes for wreaths. My family's Christmas decorations take up a corner of the attic.
One memory I have about Christmas trees involves a tree that never was. At the first church I served, the pastor was expected to lead a children's group known as "Kids for Christ." Meeting on Tuesday evenings, the group involved Bible study and crafts.
Now, let me say that this story actually began, not during the Christmas season, but on the previous Halloween. Then, too, you should know that every Halloween the church made its van available to take children around the farming community so they could do the Trick or Treat routine. On Halloween afternoon, I stopped by the home of a boy and his two sisters to let their mother know when to bring the kids to the church that night. She came to the door dressed as a witch! Fake spider-webs draped the door and a cauldron was on the porch ready to be filled with a witch's brew. They were newcomers to the community and I admit being amused at their enthusiasm for Halloween.
Flash forward a couple months to a Kids for Christ meeting. Our craft that evening was a Christmas tree ornament. The boy and his sisters just sat, doing nothing. I asked why. "We don't have a Christmas tree," the boy replied and his sisters nodded in agreement. "Well," I said, "you just don't have it yet. You'll have one soon." "No," he insisted, "my parents don't believe in Christmas trees."
I called the home the next day and told the mother that I hoped the children didn't feel left out. Their mother said it was okay and then began a lengthy discussion of why Christmas trees are wrong. She even cited a verse from Isaiah that she said proved it. (As it happens, the verse was about idols, not Christmas trees.) I didn't argue because it was clear I'd be wasting my breath and possibly cause them to leave the church.
Over the years, I've often thought about that incident. Here was a young Christian couple who were absolutely inspired by Halloween (a holiday many Christians find pagan and immoral). Yet, they were firmly opposed to Christmas trees, so opposed it was clear this mother thought her neighbors were joining the Druids when they put up a tree.
Sometimes we Christians can be a funny lot.
Anyway, this mother would never have to worry about where to store Christmas ornaments.
