Next week will be a fun week of reminiscing as the TV Land cable channel unveils their list of the 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catchphrases. It was nostalgic to review the list and remember my season of life when a particular quote or catchphrase was popular. I don’t have a strong recollection of Joseph Welch telling Senator Joseph McCarthy that “he had no sense of decency”. Perhaps that was of little interest to a fourteen month old baby. And not having a television in the family home might have been another factor. We didn’t join the TV revolution for a couple of years until we were sure it was going to “catch-on”.

But I can remember most of the others on this list. I am embarrassed to recall that I quoted many of these on a far too regular basis over the years. But I guess I was not alone.

“Danger, Will Robinson” (Robot, “Lost in Space”)
“De plane! De plane!” (Tattoo, “Fantasy Island”)
“Elizabeth, I’m coming home!” (Fred Sanford, “Sanford and Son”)
“Heh heh” (Beavis and Butt-head, “Beavis and Butthead”)
“How you doin’?” (Joey Tribbiani, “Friends”)
“I know nothing!” (Sgt. Schultz, “Hogan’s Heroes”)
“I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV” (Vicks Formula 44 ad)
“Is that your final answer?” (Regis Philbin, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”)
“What you see is what you get!” (Geraldine, “The Flip Wilson Show”)
“Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” (Arnold Drummond, “Diff’rent Strokes”)
“Would you believe?” (Maxwell Smart, “Get Smart”)
“Yada, yada, yada” (“Seinfeld”)
“Yeah, that’s the ticket” (Jon Lovitz as the pathological liar, “Saturday Night Live”)
“You look mahvelous!” (Billy Crystal as Fernando, “Saturday Night Live”)
“You rang?” (Lurch, “The Addams Family”)
“Well, isn’t that special?” (Dana Carvey as the Church Lady, “Saturday Night Live”)

Nearly all of those catchphrases have lost their cultural relevance except as memories of TV seasons past. The definition of “catchphrase” at dictionary.com is “a phrase, as a slogan, that comes to be widely and repeatedly used, often with little of the original meaning remaining”. The first thing that popped into my brain was a catchphrase that Christians use every Christmas season.

Jesus is the reason for the season.

Has that become a catchphrase for followers of Jesus? Before you send the angry email let me disclaim that I completely agree with that statement. Without the miracle of Jesus coming to this planet this holiday is just another excuse to sell stuff. There is, to state the obvious, no Christmas Day without Christ.

But there is an inherent danger in this season. It is easy to get caught up in the battle for Christmas and forget that the best defense of Christmas is to represent Christ. The power of Christmas Day is when His followers unite to be the very hands and feet of Jesus. To give and love and comfort those who need it. That is when people see that Jesus is the reason for the season. It is important to stand up for cultural rights. But the birth in Bethlehem that changed history was not about winning court battles. It was about changing hearts. I still love the King James language that describes the birth of Jesus.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matt 1:23 KJV

May God be with us. And may we really demonstrate with our love, grace, and deeds why Jesus is the reason for the season.