Highlands always lights the town Christmas tree on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The tree lighting event never disappoints and this year was no exception. After singing Christmas hymns, the crowd listened to Bible scripture which told the story of Christ’s birth. Then Santa appeared and led us in the countdown... 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1... LIGHT THE TREE! Imagine our delight when the tree lit up and at the very top was a CROSS! How perfect! Christ came to earth, sent by our Father as a tiny, helpless baby. He grew to be a man who would ultimately die on a cross to redeem us. Without the cross, Christmas would be meaningless. These were my thoughts as I gazed in wonder at that tree. My tears weren’t caused by the cold wind blowing. My tears were tears of gratitude to my savior. The next day I started receiving messages from local friends. “The cross has been taken down!” “What is going on,” I wondered. “Why?” So I called the mayor to inquire. Yes, each citizen has a direct line to the mayor in our little town. I asked the mayor about the cross and he said that since this tree was newly transplanted last winter, it was decided not to add a topper this year to protect the tree from harm. I thanked him for his time and shared the information with the one who had first brought the matter to my attention. What I learned next disappointed me. It seems the mayor was overheard immediately after the tree lit up and the cross was shining from the top. He was angry that a cross was on top of the tree. “I said there was to be no cross!!”, he stated sharply. And over the next few hours, town workers let friends know that it wasn’t about weight at the top of the tree. It seems our mayor is an atheist and wanted a secular tree. He had the cross removed on Monday morning. What happened over the next few hours still amazes me! Anna Claire Ramey, a fellow believer, posted the following on Facebook... The message spread across Highlands and beyond and at 6:00 that evening a few dozen people were at the park to protest the removal of the cross. Fox News and a few other reporters were there and listened intently as the crowd spoke. Our own pastor, Dr. Ford, spoke, too. And the next morning... ... the cross was placed back at the top of the tree! Christian, don’t buy into the secularization of one of the most beautiful celebrations ever. Celebrate the gift given to you before you were even born...John 3:16. Merry Christmas!
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Phil & SharonMarried 40 years and hoping to enjoy many more! Archives
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