Cue up the Christian slogans, another Christmas is here. “Put the Christ back in X-mas!” “Jesus is the reason for the Season!” “It’s pronounced ‘Merry Christmas’, NOT ‘Happy Holidays!'”
Actually, I made that last one up, but I wouldn’t be surprised to get it back on a Facebook post pretty soon. As a Christian who wants to have a Christian worldview, I think we can often come off as petty, cliche and even kinda repetitive. And by cliche I mean ‘thoughtless and a little uneducated.” How many people know that X-Mas was actually used by Christians during the start of the printing press because the Greek letter for Christ is χ which saves ink and was a common symbol for the name of Jesus?
We need to be a people who are thoughtful about what battles we want to take up. Is it a huge deal when a Target employee wishes you a “Happy Holiday?” How dare they! What if they are a complete atheist? Would you like them to wish you a Merry Christmas when they don’t even believe in Christ? How would this change things for us?
Christmas should be a time of goodwill flowing from the Christian community toward the community at large rather than a time to force people to speak like us. It is not a time to tackle semantics or suggest that everyone bow before the true meaning of Christmas.
I think Christmas is a great time to testify of our faith in Jesus, without ramming it down everyone’s throat! I jokingly posted that “Santa is an anagram for Satan” and it was joke! But I am going to work to remain positive this Christmas, while trying to shine the light of faith, rather than trying to insult the darkness!
Well said Don. But, I’m just bugged that the corporate “powers that be” make people say “Happy Holidays”, instead of “Merry Christmas”. I guess it’s not their fault though, I believe it’s the fault of grumpy people :o/ I really think if I was an Atheist and a Christian said “Merry Christmas” to me, I would just smile and say “Thank you” No harm, no fowl, right? It’s always been Christmas on December 25th in America….why we gotta change that? I don’t mind when other faiths celebrate their important days.
Okay I said my piece and the bottom line is you’re right…..we need to be thoughtful as to the battles we enter into.
And thank you for clearing up your intent on the Satan/Santa anagram thing. I thought you really lost it when you dissed on Santa, ……not cool Don, so not cool :o/ LoL!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!