The silly season will soon be upon us and once again, so much of it will be a distraction, bedazzled and sponsored by Ronco.
Have a Merry Wal-Mart...
Thanksgiving is over a month away and Christmas trees already are planning their devious attack, sneaking out ever earlier from the warehouse lockers that cage them during the brief seven month reprieve they are not filling the aisles, at a superstore near you...
This isn't about the commercial takeover of Jesus's birthday. That train had left the station decades ago, and just like rising health insurance premiums, it will never return to the previous, reasonable state.
What I'm referring to is the several million Christian/ Atheist/ Non- Christian Facebook posting deluge coming, about just what we should call December 25th and how much that argument matters.
Can of worms, officially open...
I prefer " Merry Christmas "...
I can diatribe all night long as to why I'm feeling that way and although my feelings and preferences are wanting to justify and validate my opinion, I still need to ask myself if the battle I'm preparing to wage over the Name of Jesus's birthday is one He would want me to fight?
Is it a Crusade worth taking?
You remember The Crusades?
Not one of Christs Bride's best moments. I think we won. A period of unparalleled brutality that converted hundreds of thousands to our viewpoint by the fear of death and torture. In our insistence, we made that world a much better and kinder place, didn't we?
Maybe not...
We crucified His Spirit again, with that debacle.
And maybe in the winning, we lost...
A lot of Non-Christians and used- to-be Christians bring that one up a lot, when someone speaks about the Love of God.
" Explain that!" they rightfully exclaim...
I never can.
Guess they win that round...
I'm not thinking that Jesus would be making a big deal over His own birthday party, especially two thousand years into it... I am thinking He might wish us to live His spirit instead of battling for recognition. It has taken a long time for me to realize that God does not need my defense fund. What I think is desired, in this instance, is not semantic debate for His honor but open display of His values...
When Jesus is attacked, His meaning and purpose and Sacrafice for our Salvation, I will always, always at least make a statement to defend Him and my God. I will offer a simple truthful defense, to let those listening know that there is a truth that is real and complete, whether acknowledged or not.
Then usually, I let it go.
Those willing to consider the words, will consider it, and those unwilling to, won't, and the addition of any other arguments by me, have never in my experience, changed the percentages on either side. The Holy Spirit finds a crack or begins one, independent of me...
Mostly, our job, as Christians is to attract people to want to find out what we have been Graced with. More often than not I find our arguments or actions, not His message, will be what pushes them away...
So as a wise dude once said, perhaps it is best to carefully choose the battles we take, in His name.
Maybe I'm a bad Christian if I'm not offended by "Happy Holidays".
Maybe I have my spiritual priorities inverted from how they should be...
I'm not thinking so.
An action of love done in His Spirit but not defined by His name will always touch hearts more than verbal diatribes using His name...
So " Happy Hollidays" or " Seasons Greetings" won't offend me, this year. I will accept all wishes gratefully and hopefully, gracefully.
But I do prefer " Merry Christmas".
Yes, I certainly do...
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