I’m not sure when I first noticed it… perhaps 2, maybe 3 years ago.
The War on Christmas.
Maybe it was a news story about a nativity scene being forced to move. Or a major retailer using “Happy Holidays” in their ads versus “Merry Christmas.” Or a Bill O’Reilly rant I heard about. Or encountering someone being overbearing about “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.”
I don’t know when I first noticed it… but I do know that I notice it more now. This “War on Christmas.”
And I am really uncomfortable with the whole thing. It all just jams me up – something seems really amiss.
As far as I can understand it, this “war” is fought on the grounds of anything that intentionally (or unintentionally) removes the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ – or mention thereof – from the holiday and traditions of Christmas. On one side of the battlefield you have those who are fighting for diversity in celebrating a year end holiday of gift-giving apart from the Person of Jesus. On the other, you have those Christians who are fighting to “keep CHRIST in Christmas” at all costs.
Which begs the question… What is this fight really over?
I can only speak from my own Christian perspective, but I just don’t get what we could be fussing about, when Christians fuss about this “war.” Here’s how I see it:
- A long time ago, a pagan date, pagan holidays and pagan traditions somehow morphed into a shiny “Christian” holiday dubbed “Christmas” – celebrating the approximate birthdate of the Messiah, Jesus.
- Over time, further worldly influences, materialism, commercialism and diversity of people, culture and beliefs have presented to challenge the traditions and culture of this “Christmas” holiday. Hey, people, every kind of people, like presents and decorations and food and parties and shopping and egg nog (well, maybe not everyone likes egg nog). The world wants in on the fun. But not every person wants Jesus attached to all that fun.
- Which causes Christians to perceive a “war” against them and “their” Holiday – and for some, a desire to “fight” back.
Here’s the problem… You just can’t inject Christ into worldly traditions, shine the tradition up as something “holy” – and then fuss when the world begins to take the sheen off the “Christian” veneer.
I have zero problem with Christmas, the holiday. I love it. I love the sights, sounds and smells of the season. I love the traditions, pagan or otherwise. I love the trees. I love the gifts. I love Santa Claus. Christmas is awesome. It’s an epic holiday, probably my favorite. And I don’t see anything wrong with any of it.
The fact that Jesus gets thrown in at all is pure bonus. In my family, we do everything we know how to make this holiday all about Him.
But shouldn’t we do everything we know how to make every holiday, every day, every second… all about Him?
Is Jesus not the Reason for every season?
Is Christ not already “in all things?” In fact, isn’t He “All,” Himself? (Colossians 3:11)
We don’t need to fight to “keep” Him in Christmas. We don’t need to fight to keep Him anywhere. He can’t be kept out.
We don’t need to fight at all – we just need to LIVE – a year-round celebration, a Life-style, pointing to and living by this Messiah, this LIFE, who now Lives within.
I can separate all that I enjoy from secular Christmas, from what my Christian community is fighting to keep in the holiday. I can take or leave the traditions, the gifts, the shopping, the parties, the nativities, the carols, the “Merry Christmases” or “Happy Holidays.” But I can’t live without my Jesus.
Blessedly, I don’t have to “fight” or “war” to “keep” Him in anything. He was incarnate, here. And He Lives, in me. My “keeping” Christ in anything is very simply a recognition of what is – and living by What Is. We shouldn’t need an adopted Holiday to remind us, and we definitely shouldn’t be warring or fighting against a perceived attack on something we made up – something that Jesus could take or leave.
I doubt Jesus gives two shakes about being “kept” in Christmas. I know He cares very much about being lived through us.
Even if the “war” was real, something to be engaged – would following Jesus not look like surrendering? To lose? Jesus after all, “lost.” He surrendered. And the eternal impact of that was Victory – not of the world’s perspective, but of Heaven’s. Surrender to the “war” against you is Kingdom Love, it is knowing you don’t have to fight because He’s already won – it is Kingdom winning.
Christmas, the holiday, is not “ours,” Brothers and Sisters. Christmas, the Holiday, the Life – is – and It knows nothing of war or fighting – but only Peace and Joy.
There is no “War on Christmas.” There is only misappropriated energy fighting for something we already, eternally have – realizing Peace and Joy in Him – and that has nothing to do with a holiday.
Ask yourself… What if Jesus took Christmas away? Would you be ok with that? What if He wanted to be sought and worshipped and followed without the context of our holiday, Christian or otherwise. What would you want to “fight” to “keep” then?
What if, instead, we allowed Christmas to be resurrected, redeemed, made new – as Jesus does by His very nature? What if Christmas, the part we want to “fight” to keep in the holiday, is displayed for more than a day in December every year, or for more than the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas Day? What if Advent was equally about what Is, as it is about what was and will be?
What if Christmas was Heaven on earth? What if Christmas was the Kingdom of God? What if Christmas was Jesus – displayed and lived by – in July, as much as in December?
What if there is no war? Because the only war that ever mattered is already won.
In surrender – to this false war, and to this True God – you will find all that was worth fighting to keep in Christmas… and more.
{Image Credit: Flickr Creative Commons}
