Mike Rutledge.CA

Why do I celebrate Christmas? Is it for the turkey? The stuffing? The family? The gifts? Although they are all great parts of the celebration the big answer for me is Jesus. I am a Christian, and do believe that because of the great and awesome love of God, Jesus became incarnate and subjected himself to humanities brokenness so that he could restore us, forgive us, and give us new life. And so to remember, honour, and celebrate that wonderful mystery, I take part in Christmas as a primarily religious holiday. It’s a great time of year, and I really enjoy it.

But.

Other people don’t believe that. I don’t really care that people who don’t believe the same thing as I do, don’t celebrate as I do. In fact, as I reflect more and more on this time of year, I realize that it would be incredibly arrogant and self righteous of me, to expect people who do not believe as I do to celebrate Christmas in the same ways that I do. Now, I get it (speaking to the Christians reading), the origin of the holiday (as we know it in our culture today – I am fully aware of the ‘pagan’ backgrounds that surround this time of year) is to celebrate Christ’s birth and because in the past we were a predominately Chrsitian culture it was a normal practice to take a break and honour that, that is why we get the time off that we do (all the non-Christians can thank us later), but dear Christians, we don’t live in a predominately Christian culture or nation anymore, and to think that we should be able to control the masses as to how they celebrate this Christian Holiday is to think that some how we are still living in some version of Christendom. We don’t. And we shouldn’t want to.  Forcing the recognition of Christ on anyone is never how the Church has evangelized. We are not about coercion and forced faith, since that is just fake faith, some religious practice out of a sense of duty not love. And if seeing that happen makes you feel proud, or at minimum less offended, may I suggest that you have very much missed the point.

For me, this is a deeply religious holiday. One of reflection, one of celebration, because I have been awakened to the new life that Christ offers. But for those who haven’t, why should I expect the same feelings? If someone were to say ‘Happy Holidays’, or ‘Seasons Greetings’ I say back ‘Thank you, you too!’ because that’s what it is for them, it really isn’t anything more. When I greet people, do I say, ‘Merry Christmas’? Yep, because that is what it is to me, if they respond great, if not, so be it. If the conversation gets going and I can use it to tell people about the ‘true meaning’ of Christmas I will most certainly do that. However I don’t police their beliefs, or force mine on them. I, because I really do believe the truth of Jesus, do want them to understand Christmas as I do, and I can invite them into that, but I’d rather have the genuine conversation than the (often perceived) snarky, religious, overbearing comments made in passing.

Christians, it shouldn’t offend you when people who don’t believe in Christ act like they don’t. (The same goes both ways though…just putting that one out there for the non believers as well.. respect/tolerance is full circle)

Also, we shouldn’t be fooled by the ‘secularization’ of this holiday. Why? Because that’s garbage. This Holiday is just as religious as ever, the difference is the god to whom people bow. Consumerism. Greed. Relationships. Pride. Ego. Comparison.  These are high season of worship for them.  People aren’t celebrating Christ, because they are worshipping their gods. So then my question becomes this, why not worship differently than the others do? Why not actually show that we are worshipping a different God by how we behave, give, love, and honour. Maybe we don’t buy into the religious worship that takes place in the malls, and around family tables, and trees. Why not instead, in these places shine a different light, let our actions speak the very words we wish our mouths could, for people aren’t willing to listen to our mouths. (We have systemically turned them off of that this time of year). Let us offer hope, joy, peace, grace, and love – sort of the whole point of the Holiday. Let’s not get offended at things we need not be offended at. Let us instead with humble adoration, love God, love people, and look for ways to bless, instead of finding ways to be offended.

Merry Christmas!