A Different Take on the Christmas Wars
Monday, December 22nd, 2008This is a re-post of Pat’s Christmas blog post from 2007. Enjoy!
He rules the world with grace and truth,
And makes the Nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love…
My Pastor always tells us to pay close attention to old hymns because you can find some great theology in them. Such is the case with “Joy to the World.” This particular verse of this hymn is the reason I don’t participate in the ‘Christmas Wars’ and why you will never hear me decrying the commercialization of the Christmas holiday. Christmas as we celebrate it is the ultimate example of what this verse teaches.
Think about it for a minute. Christ’s dominion is such that pagan holidays have been gutted of their original meaning and filled with the things of Christ. So much so that the original pagan meanings have all but disappeared from our culture, and would be entirely forgotten, except for a handful of atheists who desperately try to use their origins in a pathetic attempt to delegitimize the Holiday.
You may be saying to yourself, “Well, our culture has forgotten the Christian meanings, too.” I say not entirely. Even then, Christ makes the Nations prove the glories of His righteousness and the wonders of His love.
The cathedrals of commerce, our shopping malls and grocery stores play Christmas music for almost a month before Christmas. Shoppers are literally drenched with the praises of Christ while they engage in what amounts to preparation for extravagantly sacrificial giving to friends and family. Believers and unbelievers alike, once a year, spend what many people consider far too much, just to give it away. This in turn creates a huge wave of cash that washes around the globe creating jobs that allow people in other countries to buy food and clothing. I heard recently that most retail outlets don’t turn a profit until Black Friday, the first day of the Christmas shopping season. God teaches us about giving and provides daily bread for millions. All this because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Workaholics and greedy businesses on this one day are forced to take a Sabbath rest. (I believe that this is a foretaste of that ‘every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess’ thing mentioned in Scripture.) Families and friends are given a day to be together and enjoy each other.
The Scripture says “And from His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.” By the power of the Word all this is accomplished at Christmas.
I’m not bothered when businesses talk about “Happy Holidays”, we all know which holiday they are referring to. Christmas is the 800 pound gorilla on the holiday block. A Jewish friend told me that Hannukah was on par with St. Patrick’s Day. Kwanzaa is in its holiday infancy and it will take a few hundred years (if the Lord should tarry) to see if it has any legs.
I can hear the protests—“These people aren’t Christians, are materialistic, are doing it for selfish reasons, don’t understand the true meaning”, etc, etc. These things are true. Let me paraphrase the patriarch Joseph. We mean these things for whatever reason we mean them, but God means them for good. For us and our neighbors.
Every year I marvel that the whole world can’t help but participate in the celebration of the Incarnation. I am also humbled by the mighty power of the Word that brings this to pass.
Truly it is “Joy to the World.”
By Pat K
While I understand what you are saying, I do not think that Christians participating in the Christmas season the way the world does is correct. Spending so much money on things for people that already have everything is not what Jesus told us to do. We are to give to the least of these, not the richest (remember us in the Western world are amazingly rich compared to most of the world). I do not want my gift to trickled down to the those in other countries who work in sweat shops so the corporations can make huge amounts of profit.
I want to give my gift so they can have clean water to drink, so they can have food to eat, so they have a fulfilling job with a future and hope. These are what I want to do with my sacrificial giving.
This is, I think, what Christians are called to do with their sacrificial giving.
So while I understand that there is a benefit to having Christmas celebrated AT ALL in the secular/wider culture. That does not mean that Christians should celebrate it the same way.
Chad,
Thank you for the thoughtful reply. A couple of things I would like to point out.
Although I used the word “we” in the opening paragraph, it is meant as a generic ‘we’ referring to our culture at large. I was not advocating that Christians celebrate the Holiday in a slavish imitation of the worst parts of our culture. My point was that while many Christians are alarmed by the perceived “abuse” of Christmas, God is working subversively in such a way that even His enemies sing His praises and those who don’t know Him receive good gifts because of Him.
Am I to understand from your comments that you do not participate in any of the common Christmas traditions? No gifts for family or friends? No Christmas trees or decorations? No Holiday meals with loved ones? No days off work?
Do you research EVERYTHING you purchase to insure that it doesn’t benefit the wicked and contribute to the oppression of the poor in a far away land?
I agree that giving to insure clean water and food, and create a sustainable economy and good jobs is a noble and Christian thing to do. However I do not think our sacrificial giving should be confined to just these types of things. What about our spouses and children and parents? Aren’t we commanded to love them sacrificially too? (And no, I don’t mean jewelry and toys and vacations.)
Peace
I do participate in some of these things, but only because if I did not it would be perceived that I did not love my family.
What I do not understand, or appreciate, is that expressions of our love have been attached to these ‘things’. If I do not get a gift for my spouse, I do not love her. Even though it may be more financially responsible to NOT get her something. No, I do not research everything I purchase, but I do try to be responsible. Much of what I purchase is made locally, or even hand made. A lot of what I give has specific meaning from me to that person (often made by myself).
I guess what I am objecting to is the manner in which the Christmas celebration has gotten away from true expressions of love. If we love someone, we have to give them something, or so the culture tells us.
Since when is it necessary to have money to celebrate Christmas; the birth of Christ who came with nothing but himself?
Here I am not just talking about the Church or Christians. So many people go into so much debt in order to ‘prove their love’ for others that it severely hampers their financial futures.
I do not think this is sacrificial giving.
It is not showing someone else your love.
It seems more like an effort to purchase another’s love.
This is, I am afraid, more the message of Christmas that people understand, and it is this message that I am against.
Loving sacrificially does not mean buying them lots of things.
Great post, Pat!
I agree with you wholeheartedly.
That we celebrate and give to each other and have new born opportunity to witness to Christ Jesus is just wonderful!
And this time (Christmastime) does help a lot of people in ways which many of us could never imagine. So many people in those “sweat shops” have a far better life that they have that job. To not but the things that they make (at whatever wage) would deprive them of needed income. In many instances it’s that job…or no job. Ususll in places like that, things gradually improve and their lot in life improves as well. We have seen this phenomenon in many 3rd world countries that are now becoming economic powerhouses , such as China and India (and it is a long list).
I love Christmas, it is just great!