Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old and under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Matthew 2:16

Today begins the season of Advent.

In the weeks to come the Daily Devotions will speak to this time of repentance and preparation, but today we will talk about the political incorrectness of Advent and Christmas. You know, the type of political incorrectness which motivated a school principal to ban red and green napkins from all school parties. Indeed, he said you can bring any color napkin you want, as long as it's white.

I wonder, do you think one of us should tell him that white is the color of our souls after they have been washed from sin by the blood of Jesus? No, we'd better not. He'd probably ban napkins altogether and tell the children to use their shirtsleeves to wipe their noses and chins. The principal is not alone in wanting to be politically correct.

Joining him is the mayor of an East Coast town who has offered apologies because he had been politically incorrect and called the community's holiday party a Christmas party. How embarrassing for him!

Then there's the manager of one of our nation's largest shopping malls who decorated his facility with a menorah and not a Christmas crèche. Explaining his action he said, "I don't know much about it, but I think Hanukah remembers a battle and not a religious event." Well, he doesn't know much about it. Hanukah recalls a miracle of lights that happened in the temple, and Christmas remembers the miracle of God's Light who was born in a stable.

Most of us find these examples very silly. Still, we have to be amazed that so many people take such great pains and pride in being politically correct when it comes to the Christ. They think their desire to banish the Christ is inventive, innovative and incredibly imaginative.

The reality is such a desire is nothing new.

Throughout the centuries, religions and rulers have tried to force their citizens to be politically correct by minimizing the sacrifice of the Savior and the salvation He has won.

Two-thousand years ago, King Herod was the first to implement political correctness when he tried to get rid of Jesus by killing the baby boys of Bethlehem. Herod was the first, but he is not the last. In the lifetime of many of the Daily Devotion readers, we have seen communist governments trying to make their people politically correct by turning churches into gymnasiums, cathedrals into shopping centers, and worship services into a place where they could put forth political propaganda.

Today, as this devotion is being read, many countries, and some religions have constitutions and commandments that say Christians are so politically incorrect -- so offensive to society -- that believers in Jesus have committed a capital crime and must be put to death.

No, political incorrectness in regard to Christ is nothing new.

This is why we who have seen the Savior and know the truth of His blood-bought message need to be faithful. We need to be faithful in worship and witnessing, in praise and in prayer; we need to be bold in proclaiming the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (see 1 Peter 2:9).

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks You have come to forgive my sins and save my soul. May the world know and believe in the correctness of Your mission. In Your Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Ezekiel 37-39    2 Peter 2

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