“Merry Christmas” – it is such a sweet sentiment but like all
things can be used for good or evil.
I LOVE CHIRSTMAS!! It is
definitely my favorite holiday and I think it is right and beautiful to
celebrate the birth of the one who saved us. However, Christmas is an
opportunity to remind friends and family that we love them and to reach out and love people in the name of Jesus. I think it
is alright to say “Happy Holidays” at times. I’ve heard a lot of Christians
lose their cool about how they are not going to say “Happy Holidays” – they
want to get in people’s faces and say “Merry Christmas”. It can be a
very passionate position for some to the point where they look like they want
to kill somebody. To be honest, I used to feel the same way. Let’s keep Christ
in Christmas, right? When has shoving Christ down someone’s throat actually won
them over?
I have been privileged to live and work in very diverse
situations over the past couple of decades and I enjoy learning about different
cultures. As I genuinely show an interest in who they are as an individual and
the things that are important to them, it affords me the opportunity to share
the things that are important to me. Are we loving people or winning them to
Christ by disrespecting who they are, their culture, and their celebrations? Do
we not reach people more by loving them where they are at? The examples of
Christ in the Bible are ones of those going to people where they are at and
their lives being changed by His grace, mercy and love. He went and ate with
the tax collector; He asked for water from a Samaritan; and he didn’t go
turning the water into acai juice at the wedding!
To my fellow Christians, and especially to
my Christian friends and family, I wish you all a Very Merry & Blessed
Christmas! To those of you who may celebrate another holiday at this
time of year, I hope it is a very special time for you – Happy
Holidays!!
(revised 12/13)
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