We are about to enter the Christmas season and already I see
the many articles, calls for boycotts, and arguments centered around the phrase
“keep Christ in Christmas”; mostly coming from Christian circles. Well this
year I have to say it has really gotten to me so here is my personal observation and response it it all:
I spend a lot of time around Christians hearing them talk
about Christmas. I hear the discussion from moms and dads, grandparents, kids,
teens etc. I have to say, from my observations, it is not the secular community
that has taken Christ out of Christmas…it is the Christians. As Christmas
approaches most of the times when I hear Christians mention “Christ” as part of their
regular Christmas dialogue it is when they are complaining that someone is not
calling it “Christ”mas but instead calls it the “holiday season”. As they then
declare their Christian value for
“Christ” in Christmas and declare that “He is the reason for the season”.
However, based on what I see I don’t think we, Christians, are keeping
Christ in Christmas. As I listen to parents talk with their kids and each other their dialogue appears to be
driven around meal plans, present ideas for the kids and family, who gets what
from whom, where will they be going etc. As I listen to our kids I hear more about
Santa and little to NOTHING about Christ. Now please understand me as I say
this, this includes me. So this rant is not a declaring of “those people” but
an observation of “us” which includes me. Are we keeping Christ in Christmas by
how we live and in what we say? The fruit that I see happening brings about a
clear and obvious “NO” to that question!
When Christ becomes the center of why we celebrate then he
truly will be the reason for the season. When Christ becomes what we talk to
our kids about more then presents, Santa and the tree THEN we will be keeping
Christ in Christmas. When Christ is seen in our lives and interactions by
giving and serving to others in a time of some of the greatest hurt and need in
the community around us, over our own traditions and personal wants, THEN we
will be keeping Christ in Christmas.
It is easy to get offended because of what others call it. I
dare say Christ is less concerned with what we call it and is much more
concerned with how we choose to live it. It is easy to say “Christ”mas but do
we live out Christ in our Christmas lives and season?
