Monday, December 11, 2017
578 - Go Ahead and Say It, Part 2
Spirituality Column #578
December 12, 2017
Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
Go Ahead and Say It,
Part 2
By Bob Walters
One of the
great things about a secular, non-religious, “Season’s Greetings” celebration
is that there is almost nothing serious to fight about once we get past Black
Friday riots over flat screen televisions at big box retailers.
Turns out
the real stumbling block is the actual “reason for the season” – the Christ
Child, the incarnation of God, the promised savior of all mankind, the divine
love of our heavenly father, and the peace that passes all understanding. On Jesus; that’s where we can lay blame for our
contentious, materialistic, dehumanizing “holiday” division. And it’s funny – odd
– from whence some of the criticism emanates.
There was
the Irish Catholic priest who recently said, “don’t say ‘Christmas,’” because it’s
in secular shambles having been co-opted by sinners. And a Jesuit brother (another order of the
Catholic priesthood) advised “don’t press too hard on ‘Christ in Christmas’ out
of respect to other religions and viewpoints.”
We witness unforgiveness and self-righteousness on the one hand, and point-missing
diversity on the other, which, you see, trumps the love, peace, truth, joy, celebration,
and glory of Jesus Christ.
Therefore
we mustn’t - we can’t – promote
religion at Christmas. Irony overflows.
And
speaking of Trump, my heavens, did you happen to catch the lighting ceremony of
the National Christmas Tree (video link below) on Dec. 1? I don’t know who writes the president’s stuff
but, politics aside, his address could have been the dedication of the
Christmas tree at any Bible-believing church in America. President Trump preached a theologically
proper sermon, actually affirming “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” right
there in the politically correct tornado alley of Washington D.C.
The major
media, unsurprisingly, barely covered it, though they could have had a heyday
hammering the President for such an insensitive gaff – “Jesus?!?” Maybe they judged it to be silly non-news,
but I thought it was news he said it, and was glad he did.
It was a
fresh breeze for Jesus amid the swampy, stagnant, political D.C. air.
Now, it’s
true that nowhere in the Bible is there any mention of “Christmas,” nor in the
New Testament any call whatsoever for feasts, festivals, or holidays. Celebrations had been vital to Jewish law in the
Old Testament because Covenant law demanded it.
The New Covenant of Faith in Christ tells us to celebrate Jesus in our
hearts – always – by loving God,
loving our neighbors, and joining with humanity in fellowship.
So is
Christmas holy? It’s easy enough to
Google “Christmas History” and learn everything one could want to know about
how traditions developed over the centuries.
Truth is, Christmas was never a very big deal until the mid-1800s, and
“blew up” over the ensuing century as its not-so-holy commercial, capitalistic
potential blossomed.
Modern
Christmas certainly can hurt Christian witness; a distraction from Christ’s true
message and mission. But amid a world
seemingly dedicated to ignoring Jesus – exactly what Satan wants – sharing a
sincere, heartfelt “Merry Christmas” feels right.
So I’m
saying it. Merry Christmas!
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