Merry
Christmas!
As
Christmas looms nearer I’ve scrolled past more than a few memes on Facebook,
and elsewhere on the far reaches of the interweb, that declare most boldly the
notion that Christians ought not to feel constrained by the pressures of a
politically correct society to wish others a happy holidays. The basis for this declaration, I assume,
since it is never really expounded upon, is that a generic “Happy holidays!” does
a disservice to the true reason for the season.
The
challenge of these holiday memes is for faithful Christians who want to keep
Christ in Christmas to proudly swim upstream against the strong currents of a
consumer society that threatens to swallow up even the true meaning of Christmas.
So
this has me thinking: Does “Merry Christmas!” really have the power to overcome
a threat that has plagued us since 1965 when Snoopy’s doghouse caused Charlie
Brown’s lamentation; “When did Christmas get so commercial?”
Many
of us may not know that the word “holiday” comes from two English words, “holy”
and “day.” It once was a word used to
refer to the holy days of the Church calendar.
Think Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Advent, and yes, Christmas. So technically, “Happy Holidays!” is quite
correct when referring to Christmas. Of
course, language is only as effective as the ones employing it. In other words, that meaning is now lost.
So I
have a choice to make. I can try to be
respectful of my friends of the unchurched persuasion and offer them a sincere “Happy
Holidays!” or I can wish everyone I meet an equally hearty, but less socially acceptable
“Merry Christmas!”
One
makes me a sensitive and progressive conformist. The other makes me a daring and courageous religious
activist. I guess.
You
know what I’m going to do? I’m going to
play it by ear. Take it one greeting at
a time. Some people will look like they
need a merry Christmas. Then again, some
of my friends are not into Jesus at all.
Maybe I will give them a “Merry Christmas.” Maybe I won’t. Maybe I will wish them a “Happy Holiday.” It doesn’t mean I don’t love Jesus. And it doesn’t mean I’m afraid to name the name
of Christ. And it certainly doesn’t mean
that I want consumerism to overtake the real meaning of Christmas.
What
it means is that I believe my actions and the generosity of my Church are what
will hold the darkness of consumerism at bay this season. You see, I know that dozens of kids will have
a warm jacket, a pair of boots, a hat, and a scarf this winter, because of
local area churches. I know that fifty
five people ate a free Christmas dinner today in the gymnasium of Knox Presbyterian. Probably the best meal they will enjoy this
year. I know that a few dozen people
will be fed and have somewhere warm to sleep in the basement of my church building
this Christmas season. And this is the
real rebellion against an encroachingly commercial holiday, not a bold “Merry
Christmas!” to an overworked and underpaid cashier at Walmart, who probably isn’t
offended in the least anyway.
In
the face of a society that has turned Christmas into what you can get, we
Christians are challenged to see what we can give. Jesus once asked the apostle Peter if he
loved him. Good, Jesus said, “Then feed
my sheep.”[1]
Being
a disciple of Christ goes far deeper than catch phrases, rhetoric, and Facebook
memes. I know this sounds self-righteous,
and it isn’t meant to be. I just want us
to talk less about what we will say this Christmas, and spend more time
thinking about what we will do.
"Do
not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the
people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ
the Lord. Luke 2:10-11
Happy
Holydays everyone!
-A
www.knoxmidland.ca
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