Carleigh Christian – True Christmas

Carrie Ransom is an English Registered Nurse specialist who owns and runs her own clinic in Colchester, Essex.  She wrote Break Your Bad Habits Before They Break You, which highlights bad habits that cause posture problems.

She also wrote True Christmas under the pseudonym, Carleigh Christian, and asked me to review it.  So, I did.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

This song opens by touching on traditional Christmas celebration practices: families that meet in homes, food, decorations, the Christmas tree, and presents.  These things are not wrong.  Yet, this song reminds us to remember that Jesus is why we celebrate it annually.  He came to die for our lawbreaking.  It’s more about Easter than exchanging presents.

Also, make sure that you don’t borrow money for gifts!  More on that in section 2.

This song contains a reference to the three kings that visited baby Jesus, which is unsupported by Scripture.  It also states that love is free; However, it costs us pride to receive love from God, as well as other people. I’m not worried about “Word of Faith” implications because it’s a general statement that’s not specifically directed towards God.

This song contains five Verses and no Chorus.  The only notable repetition is the song’s end, which is a three-fold refrain of its last line.

Score: 8/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

Most of it either aligns with the Bible or contains opinions that aren’t unbiblical; However, I take exception with the three kings and that receiving love has no cost.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

Yeh it’s Christmas, that time of the year
Merry Christmas to those you hold dear
You know home is where the heart is
So c’mon let’s have a party
You know it’s Christmas when everyone’s here.

These opening lines acknowledge the Western tradition of family gatherings during the Christmas season, where food, conversations, laughter, and gift exchanges occur.  There’s nothing unbiblical about these practices so long as we understand why we celebrate Christmas.  More on that later.

[Verse 2]

Yeh it’s Christmas a time to have fun
Merry Christmas to everyone
Christmas trees and decorations,
Help with all the celebrations
You know it’s Christmas, the seasons begun.

In many homes that celebrate Christmas, there is a Christmas tree, ornaments, gifts under the tree, house decorations, and Christmas lights, both inside and outside the house.  While some believe that we should avoid the Christmas tree due to its pagan origins, which would violate Colossians 2:8, to say we should stop using them based on their origination without consideration to modern-day usage is to commit the genetic fallacy.

In my humble opinion, these traditions in Verse 1 and 2 are matter-of-opinion issues that do not contradict Scripture.  Romans 14:1 informs us to not quarrel over such issues.

[Verse 3]

A Christmas song that’s here to show
The true meaning of Christmas for those who don’t know
It’s not about presents, those these can be fun,
It’s all about Christ, that’s how it begun.
Born in a stable without a door,
Sacrificed his life so we’d sin no more,
So let me here you sing and let me here you shout
Coz this is what Christmas is truly all about

As I mentioned earlier, there’s nothing unbiblical about gift exchanges; However, we should remember why we celebrate Christmas.  It’s about Jesus’ birth (Matthew 1:25 and Luke 2:6-7) whose mission is to pay for our sins (John 1:29) so that we would “sin no more” (John 8:11 and 1 John 2:1).

While Scripture does not say if the stable had a door or not, it’s conceivable poetic license.

[Verse 4]

Yeh it’s Christmas remember the date

While December 25th is when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday, we don’t know which day Jesus was born.

A birth foretold of someone so great
With baby J on the way

The angel Gabriel said to Mary that her Son would be great (Luke 1:32).

The three kings in the wings

Though there are Magi who visit Jesus, Scripture does not call them “kings” nor does it number them.  We traditionally state three due to the number of gifts; However, it’s not in the Bible (Matthew 2:1-12).

Yeh its Christmas let’s celebrate

See Verse 1, line 4.

[Verse 5]

Yeh it’s Christmas so please don’t forget
Have a merry Christmas, don’t get into debt

This part made me laugh out loud when I first read it!  This is sound advice.  After all, debt is slavery to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).  Please people, don’t borrow money to buy Christmas presents.  If your family and friends can’t accept that, then perhaps they don’t deserve a gift.  Instead, consider volunteering, especially with your children.

Remember life is what you make it

Christian reminds us that we are in control of our lives.  We cannot change other people and how they interact with us, but we can change how we respond to others.

Love is free so go on take it

I agree and disagree that love is free.  To receive the love of God will cost us our pride  (Psalm 138:6, Proverbs 3:34, Proverbs 29:23, Matthew 23:12, Luke 1:52, James 4:6, and 1 Peter 5:5).  We should consider the cost of following Jesus before receiving Him (Luke 14:25-33).

Yeh it’s Christmas it’s not on the net

Christmas can’t be found on the internet.  See Verse 3.

Yeh it’s Christmas it’s not on the net
Yeh it’s Christmas it’s not on the net

Repeats line 5.

Score: 8/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Purposeful spelling errors notwithstanding, Christian’s lyrics are easy to comprehend, containing everyday language with little Christianese that will cause confusion, except for the word “sin”.  While the big takeaway is that Christmas is about Christ’s payment for sins, for an unbeliever, sin is error but not lawbreaking.

Christian’s practical advice will help unbelievers to further financial freedom, by avoiding borrowing money for Christmas gifts.

Score: 8/10

4. What does this song glorify?

While it glorifies God that this song reminds us that Jesus is the reason for Christmas, its minor issues mentioned in previous sections veils it.

Score: 8/10

Closing Comments

Carleigh Christian’s True Christmas is decent.  Amid annual get-togethers, we should remember that Christmas is about Christ, not presents, bringing God glory.  It contains a few minor issues, that there aren’t three kings who visited Jesus, and there is a cost to receive love.  It also offers a sound PSA: don’t borrow money for Christmas presents.  Unbelievers will understand the gist of this song, even if they don’t know that sin is breaking God’s laws, commandments, or both.

This song is inspirational, but not appropriate for corporate worship.

Final Score: 8/10

Artist Info

Track: True Christmas

Artist: Carleigh Christian

Album: N/A

Genre: Christmas

Release Year: 2019

Duration: N/A

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright © 2019 Carleigh Christian. All rights reserved. Used by permission.