Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The hype over keeping Christ in Christmas

They started arriving just before Thanksgiving. They've been arriving every year that I have had a computer to receive e-mails. E-mail after e-mail encouraging people to "keep Christ in Christmas," stop wishing each other "Happy Holidays," work to eliminate the generic "Seasons Greetings," etc. They usually end with a warning that if I "don't pass this on to at least 3, 5 or 10 people immediately I am going to "lose the benefit of an extra blessing from God" or somehow it puts me with "the 90% of unbelievers who will simply delete this message" ... Oh, what seasonal foolishness!

I can remember my Sunday school teaching mother sending out "Holiday Greeting" cards back in the early part of my childhood - like 1952. I can remember a huge "Season Greetings" sign on the front lawn of the city hall in Miami back in 1954. And, I can remember by home room teacher, a dynamic and outspoke Christian, at Miami Edison High School, Uncle Jimmy Hudson, wishing all of us "Happy Holidays" as we left for the Christmas break back in 1959. So, why all the hype about these standard seasonal offerings now?

I think that it would be great if we would simply sit back, relax and enjoy the season and stop looking for something "evil" under every rock or greeting. Remember that either with us or without us God is still in charge and he will get the word out. I think scripture states something like "if (we) are silent even the rocks will shout out." After all the world into which Jesus was born was more pagan than America in 2009.

Instead of worrying about what Christmas greeting people are using we need to stop the killings, prejudices, anger, rage and start following the teaching's of Jesus - like "loving our enemies and those who would spitefully use us." Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Then turn the other cheek, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the sick, and care for the homeless. The best Christmas greeting would be to pass on love, acceptance and appreciation. Words are easy, action is much harder.

What do you think?

No comments:

Post a Comment