“Obviously, this blog was written around Christmas time. I’ve posted it here (out of season) for three reasons. 1) I still full agree with everything in it. 2) When it was first published (Myspace again) several other people agreed as well. And 3) I find it a solid example of my more unpolished, more aggressive writing. Don’t worry, there will be plenty more soapboxes where this came from but for now, Merry Xmas.”
Warning! This blog may offend absolutely everybody. And you may no longer want to be my friend. Just prepare yourself for that. So without further delay . . .
I’m highly religious. No, seriously, I am. I just encounter religion differently than a number of my more popular and outspoken peers.
Case in point — Happy Holidays. Season’s Greetings. Xmas.
There’s a war being waged on Christmas. And I’m not talking about the fight to take Christ out of it. And I’m not talking about the materialism of mainstream America. No, I’m talking about the concept of “Good tidings of great joy which shall be for all people.” Luke 2:10
Christmas for me is a reminder to step inside another’s shoes. Why? Because fundamentally I believe that this is what the Christ figure is all about. I believe this to be an essential to an understanding of Jesus (from whatever standpoint – religion or anthropology or mythology or philosophy, etc.) On a base level, the divine became human in order to reconcile the two together. Substitute whatever other analogy you’re more comfortable with (the wealthy became poor, the wise lived like a fool, the innocent became guilty, or any of a thousand others. They’re all there). Basically, the misunderstood now have an advocate and the unheard now have a voice. That is the Christ. And ideally, that’s what we’re to be reminded of every Christmas season.
But this spirit of seeing the other point of view is lost to us these days. And it is not the religious who are solely guilty. The “right” refuses to acknowledge the “left” as anything but an enemy and the “left” antagonizes the “right” because “left” thrives on validation through putting down all contrary opinions. If they stood on what they have in common, some real good might get done in this world, but as it stands no one gets any help because we’re at war with ourselves.
With this in mind, why the $&@# are we arguing over what to call Christmas??!! Some people are uncomfortable saying Merry Christmas cause it’s all Jesusy and others are uncomfortable saying Happy Holidays cause it’s not Jesusy enough.
WELL, PERSONALLY, I’m fed up with the sick at heart dying because we’re too busy fighting over what to call the medicine!
Message to Christians: — If you really feel that threatened, and if you honestly think Christ feels that threatened, than I applaud your passion, but you gotta remember a few things. Christ said to Pilate (while beaten to a pulp), “You have no power over me if it has not been given you from above.” John 19:11 What THEY call it doesn’t matter half as much as what WE do with it. They don’t have power over it just because they ignore it. Stop protesting outside of Wal-mart and start passing out food baskets to people who don’t have anything else! Stop yelling about the language and start practicing the spirit a little bit more — be a bit more giving and caring and compassionate instead of being so demanding. Remember that Christmas, just like our faith, isn’t all about you. I’m tired of seeing more Christianity from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition than I am from church gatherings.
Message to Non-Christians: Can it really piss you off THAT much if someone says Merry Christmas to you? Seriously, now. It’s not like they insulted your dog or something. Maybe it does piss you off that much, but if it does, then you piss off too easy and you should get over yourself cause all most people are trying to do is feel better about the year they’ve survived to get where they are. Most people are not trying to convert you just because they hang a Merry Christmas sign on the window. And the few who ARE trying to convert you with just two words are too ignorant for you to get all upset over the language and you should realize that or else you’re too ignorant to speak at all.
Any belief (religious or otherwise) that is dependent on its language for survival is dead already.
To me, Christmas IS all about Christ — specifically as it relates to His message of understanding and compassion, giving of yourself and wishing good things for the spirits of those around you. If everybody else in the world doesn’t see it that way, it’s not gonna change my feelings about that. But my faith certainly doesn’t need ME to defend it. Without my faith, I would be lost and anything with that kind of saving power doesn’t need me to fight its battles for it.
Personally speaking, I’m more pissed off that they’ve taken the spirit of Christ out of mainstream Christianity than I am that they’ve taken his name out of a holiday. I just wish that Christians could be allowed to express their faith openly without non-Christians feeling so threatened by it and I wish Christians everywhere would stop treating their faith like it was some kind of political campaign race to be agendized* (*not a real word). I guess I have to agree that everybody is taking Christ out of Christmas. I just wanted to point out that that has nothing to do with a couple of little words.
Cause I do want everyone to be well this holiday season. There are people with no homes and no food and no money for clothes, let alone toys. And I’m lucky to have a roof and enough electricity for a Christmas tree that’s humble but beautiful just the same. And there are people I love and there are people who love me and there are people who love you too.
I wish we could share that love with a few folks who won’t be getting much of it this year. I wish we could put aside our territorialism and learn to share. My Christmas wish is that everyone who has nothing, would wake up with something . . . and a hope for something more. Because that message isn’t just Christmas to me — it’s Christ.
I do wish everyone could have a very Merry Christmas this year — or whatever they would like to call it. And to all, a good night.
