\u201cKeep Christ in Christmas!\u201d \u201cJesus is the reason for the season!\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s OK to say Merry Christmas!\u201d<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t disagree with any of these statements. However, as a PR rep for Jesus, I cringe whenever I see them printed on a sign somewhere. I know we all lament the commercialization of a sacred day; I know that it\u2019s frustrating to see something so meaningful reduced to plastic snowmen and frozen fruitcakes. That said, it\u2019s not worth getting all offended by a \u2018season\u2019s greetings\u2019 card, or a \u2018winter holiday celebration\u2019 at your kids\u2019 school or your workplace. Here\u2019s why we should stop demanding \u201cour holiday\u201d back:<\/p>\n
1<\/strong>-\u2018Season\u2019s greetings,\u201d refers to that broad expanse of time from Thanksgiving to New Year\u2019s Day. Muliple holidays=holiday season. It\u2019s nothing against Jesus, really.<\/p>\n 2<\/strong>-Also, Christians are not the only people of faith who celebrate a high holy day around the winter solstice. Christianity is a global faith with a regrettable lack of global awareness. \u201cHappy Holidays\u201d is a simple means of acknowledging that some of our neighbors\u2013even some of our friends and relatives\u2013are also in the midst of living their faith. And let\u2019s face it: the \u201cthis is mine\u201d attitude surrounding December 25 feels less like Christmas cheer, and more like Black Friday hoarding. Just sayin\u2026<\/p>\n 3-<\/strong>Xmas is not a dirty word. In fact, \u201cX\u201d is\u00a0the Greek letter, Chi\u2013which, in the olden days, was often used as a literary symbol for Christ. So, there you go.<\/p>\n 4-<\/strong>Jesus never went around saying \u201cMerry Me-Smas.\u201d\u00a0While I\u2019m sure he\u2019d appreciate all the to-do around his birthday, he was a pretty humble guy. I think he\u2019d blush and say, \u201cOh, you shouldn\u2019t have!\u201d And you know\u2026when i hear \u2018keep Christ in Christmas,\u201d what it sounds like to me is keeping for ourselves. Not the best celebration of God\u2019s love incarnate.<\/p>\n 5-<\/strong>Do you really want the public school system to be responsible for your child\u2019s faith formation? No? i didn\u2019t think so. However\u2026when we insist that public schools\u2013funded by state and local tax dollars\u2013speak the language of faith, it is kind of the same thing. (I have similar boundary issues with posting of 10 Commandments and school prayer\u2026post for another day!) Let\u2019s just say, while i think many public school teachers model wonderful values and moral behavior, and many are model Christians, I\u2019d much rather my kids learn to read and do math at school, and get their language of faith from my family and the church of my choosing.<\/p>\n 6-<\/strong>We might often feel that the secularization of our favorite holiday has deprived it of all meaning. But on the contrary, Christmas is the time when many who would qualify themselves as \u2018non-believers,\u2019 feel a stirring of the spirit that leads them seeking. If we are truly disciples of Jesus, we should celebrate any element of the season that urges people toward the holy. \u00a0It may start with the mall or the Hallmark channel, but it often lands them in church. I\u2019ll take it.<\/p>\n 7. <\/strong>Speaking of shopping\u2013if you are bothered by all the secular expressions posted around malls and big box stores this season, might i gently\u00a0suggest that you spend less of your Christmas season at the freakin mall? <\/em>If you don\u2019t like the signage, spend more time serving the poor, going to worship, getting out in nature, and spending time with the people you love. I\u2019m pretty sure the birthday boy would be all for it.<\/p>\n