I was teasing our Pastor’s son about gaps in his education, and I asked if he knew what a Red Herring is. Our Pastor said, it’s a bird, which wasn’t the answer I was looking for, so I explained. A Red Herring is something meant to mislead or distract from a relevant or important question, it is not important, and takes your attention away from the main subject or problem. I don’t remember why the subject came up, but I know there are lots of Red Herrings in our world today and they are taking people’s attention away from the truth. While you may disagree, please understand I am not trying to mislead or distract you from the truth.
There is a Red Herring going on right now. It isn’t new and the deceit is very deliberate. It seems innocent enough, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. That Red Herring is Santa Claus and much of the way we celebrate Christmas. How can you attack Santa Claus and Christmas? I didn’t attack Christmas, but a distraction from the true meaning of Christmas.
You might reply, we include Baby JESUS in our Christmas celebration. That’s the problem! Why would you include anything that distracts from our Savior’s birth? Children love to watch stories about, Santa and Rudolph! How did Santa delivering toys replace “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16 KJV)? You are training up your children (Prov 22:6) for what they will face in the future. Will Santa help when their world is falling apart?
We are losing the very world we are supposed to tell about JESUS! They are trying desperately to remove JESUS from both their celebration and ours. They don’t say Merry Christmas and JESUS isn’t welcome in public schools or the public square. Most Christmas celebrations have nothing to do with JESUS. Our half-hearted witness has contributed to this problem, but I am sure it’s part of a bigger scheme. It’s a Red Herring!
Christmas isn’t the only Red Herring out there. Did you ever wonder what colored eggs, bunnies and yellow chicks have to do with Easter? It’s a distraction from our LORD’s triumph over death, hell, and the grave! If you get nothing else, but you believe JESUS died on the cross to pay for your sins, rose again on the third day, and accept Him as your LORD, your sentence is changed from eternal death to eternal life! What could be more important than that? Instead, we distract our children with Easter Egg hunts and baskets filled with candy and toys!
There are more Red Herrings keeping us from the truth: tolerance has replaced repentance, understanding instead of correction, counseling is offered instead of deliverance and salvation has become optional! The thief knows his business and he has come “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10 KJV) and all he needs are willing accomplices and a few Red Herrings.
What am I supposed to do? Love GOD with your all and your neighbor as yourself (Mat 22:37 and 39), abide in JESUS and let Him abide in you through His WORD, and pray without ceasing. Open your heart to the HOLY SPIRIT, so you can resist the thief and tell the World about the JESUS you love, and they so desperately need!
Wayne Lance (2021) – That’s Good News to Share!