"Do they know it's Christmas?"

Many of you who are older than I probably remember a Christmas song by the above name. The band who sang it called themselves "Band Aid," as their purpose was to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.

Because I'm a Christmas junkie, I've had my car radio tuned to 98.5, a radio station here in Little Rock that plays nothing but Christmas songs after 7 pm every night starting the day after Thanksgiving. This song has been played pretty frequently. One line in particular from this song keeps resonating in my head:

"Feed the world. Let them know its Christmas time."

And the Christmas season is a great time to spend effort and money helping out those in need. We tend to think more philanthropically from late November to December 25th. Epoch Church, in fact, is taking an opportunity to serve the Little Rock Compassion Center later this month. Arkansas' secretary of state is pushing a campaign raising toys for children of prisoners. Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse organization is in the process of delivering shoe boxes filled with gifts to developing countries. The hungry will likely eat better this month. The sad will hopefully find more reasons to smile. The lonely might receive an excess of hugs for the next 16 days.

But what happens on December 26th?

If these things, as needed as they may be, are all that the Church gives, we'll continue to see a world in need. We've got to give something more. Just as Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep if he truly loved him, our command is the same. Obviously this should continue after Christmas season is over, but what better time to start? This Christmas season, let's all give more than just our time to a homeless shelter or our money to the Salvation Army.

Tell someone who Jesus Christ is and what He wants to do in his or her life.

So the 1984 message from Band Aid is still around, and I think plenty of the world still needs to be fed. This Christmas, feed the world with something more. Give a gift that doesn't expire. Spread joy that is found only in truth.

Let them know it's Christmas time.