Maybe Meta, Maybe Not

Randall Munroe, creator of the witty and often thought-provoking xkcd comic, offers an opinion on the true meaning of Christmas in this strip:

According to the characters, the true meaning of Christmas is the actual search for the true meaning of Christmas. This has come about because of all of the different stories, movies, books and such that search for the true meaning of Christmas, many of which find it in a lot of different places.

I'd agree that all of the different "true meanings of Christmas" that seem to be found in popular media might make one wonder whether or not there is a true meaning. I'm not sure of Mr. Munroe's own religious beliefs, but your humble blogger remains mired in his traditional Christian theism. So he departs from Mr. Munroe in this way -- there is indeed a true meaning of Christmas that is not really touched on by all of the different things that say they are about the true meaning of Christmas. But that meaning is not the quest itself. Instead, it is God's choice to enter creation as the divine second person of the Trinity, the Logos, is born as a human baby in the town of Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago -- give or take.

But whether you, O welcome reader, hold that belief or not, I would wish you a Merry Christmas nonetheless.