From the Desk of the Associate Pastor

I was recently driving and observed a sticker that said, “Keep Christ in Christmas”. I figured it was a little early for that kind of statement, but I appreciated the sentiment. Yet, I found myself questioning the overall statement and what was meant by it.

I know there are a variety of ways folks celebrate the holiday now and that has lead to some controversy. If this sticker is about emphasizing the importance of saying Christmas versus X-Mas, the meaning of this sticker would not make sense to me because the “X” is really a “Chi” which is the first letter of Christos (Greek for Christ). So, saying X-Mas does not remove Christ from Christmas.

Does this perhaps mean saying “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays”? Again, that makes little sense to me because there is nothing wrong with being inclusive in our desire to share holiday cheer. Besides, we celebrate Advent, Christmas and Epiphany in this season so there is in fact more than one holiday being celebrated. Plus, we want to honor our neighbors of other faiths so what is the harm in saying “Happy Holidays”?

For me, “keeping Christ in Christmas” is not about either of these two things. Instead, it is about remembering why Christians celebrate the holiday. I have seen Christmas decorations and gifts out since October. Thanksgiving was still over a month out and I was listening to Christmas music and seeing an assortment of gifts at any given store I went to. At the risk of sounding like the proverbial grinch, is this not a little early? More importantly, are gifts and jingles really what the season is about? I know that I speak for many of us that when seeing financial institutions advertise their products as a means of paying for Christmas gifts it makes us cringe. There is nothing wrong with spending money on our loved ones, especially children. However, for adults, there is such pressure to give into the commercialized version of Christmas. Purchases aside, there is such pressure to have a Hallmark-style Christmas.

In my eyes, to keep Christ in Christmas means resisting these pressures in small ways. We are called as Christians to bear witness to our real need for a Messiah. Without Christ, we are lost and, in the incarnation, God came to us despite our brokenness. In fact, in Christ God came to us precisely because of our brokenness. I am thankful for a message that says, “we do not receive Jesus because we are good but because we need him”.

My siblings in Christ, let us redefine what it means to keep Christ in Christmas. Let our holiday season be one of gratitude, Christ-like giving, and joy in our Messiah.