No. 1
Here we are, once again, in the beautiful Advent season. And here we are, once again, trying to make a lost world wish us a merry Christmas as we go through the check-out line. The sad truth is that we may as well say, “Merry Giftmas,” since that pretty much plumbs the depth of understanding for most people.
When I greet folks, I’ll say, “Merry Christmas.” I may even emphasize His title: Christ. If I know someone is Jewish, I’ll say, “Happy Hanukkah!” Jesus celebrated Hanukkah. It’s a beautiful, meaningful time that reminds us of God’s loving care for His chosen people. I’m glad that it comes around the same time as we Christ-followers celebrate the incarnation of God’s Son, our Savior, the Light of the World.
The way I see it is this: CHRISTmas is our holy day. Why would I want to force non-believers to greet me in a prescribed way. It’s meaningless to them. If they want to, I’m not going to get upset or offended, but I’m not going to demand it. I want my life to reflect my Lord. Perhaps the Kingdom of God would be better served if, instead of demanding a certain greeting—or even signage—we looked for opportunities to engage in dialogue explaining the importance of our holy days of Christmas, Resurrection Sunday, and, yes, Thanksgiving, speaking the Truth in love.
That’s the way I see it.
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