Why is Joy a Christmas word?

Why is “JOY” a Christmas word? I had to look it up. The first thing that popped up was the carol “Joy to the World”. That was not a satisfying answer to me since it is my least favorite carol solely based on its overuse.

Next, I was taken to Luke 2:10-12, my favorite Christmas passage (you know, the one Linus quotes in a Charlie Brown Christmas). “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: For, behold, I bring you good tidings of GREAT JOY, which shall be to all people….” The angel himself told us that the celebration of Jesus birth was to be a time of great joy. And like the angel, we are called to share that ‘Great Joy’ with others.

If you look back at all your past Christmas seasons, I am quite certain that you will remember many times of great joy: receiving the exact gift you were hoping for, fun family get togethers, finding just the right gift for someone on your list, eating your favorite Christmas cookies, Advent devotions, Christmas decorations, beautiful snow, the glow of candles, the warmth of the fireplace, serving your surrounding community through angel tree and kettles…. There is no end to the many ways we experience joy during this season.

So, this Christmas I invite you to Share Your Christmas Joy. You have the opportunity to make a financial donation that will be sent to a Salvation Army home or institution overseas so they can afford to make their Christmas celebration a time of Joy for their children. Through your donations, we send $100 to as many institutions as we can so they can have a special Christmas meal, gifts or a holiday outing. Every child should have a chance to experience the Joy of Christmas. For more information or to make an online donation click here.  All other donations can be sent to: Sponsorship Office, 5550 Prairie Stone Pkwy., Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 (memo: SYCJ)