Christmas or Holiday: Do People Still Matter?

The whole “holiday vs. Christmas” debate gets under my skin. I’m tired of the rhetoric.

If Christ-followers are going to enter the conversation, let's at least do so in an informed manner. The last thing people in our culture need are Christ-followers who discredit themselves, their argument and their God by being uninformed about history and the celebration we embrace called, Christmas.

I wish we Christ-followers wouldn’t get so worked up about whether our kids have Christmas break or a winter holiday break. Labels aren’t the point. Jesus is. Nobody is taking away our ability to honor Christ in our lives.

For instance, Easter was celebrated in the early days of the Early Church, not Christmas. Late December holidays were celebrated by Europeans and others before there was ever a “Christmas”. Seems that Pope Julius I decided to mark the Christmas holiday on December 25 (since the Bible is silent about the time of year) as an alternative to the cultural debauchery associated with society's year-end party. Throughout the 5^th – 8^th centuries the custom spread from Poland to England.This time of year was chosen by the Pope in an effort to absorb the debauchery that marked the pagan celebrations in December. Christmas is a Christian holiday – established in contrast to other celebrations that honored pagan gods that Christ-followers didn’t trust.
 
In America the Puritans wanted nothing to do with the pagan holiday, so it was actually outlawed in Boston from 1659 – 1681. In fact the first Christmas after the declaration of America’s freedom, Congress was in session on December 25^th. It wasn’t until 1870 that Christmas was declared a recognized holiday in America.

So, too often many Christ-followers in unintended error and ignorance, get worked up about the pagans in our “God-fearing” country taking away our religious, Christ-centered Christmas and replacing it with “holiday”.

My point? Our job is and always has been to live as the light of the world within our culture. Our job has never been to “Christianize” America or the world through political, legal or otherwise forced strategies. The church of Christ and his followers will always have Christmas. We do recognize the Christ - the one true God.

So, light the tree! Sing a carol! Read the Christmas narrative! Send cards that celebrate the Christ-child and God's kingdom on earth. Immanuel - He's here... whether our neighbors say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays".

I'm grateful for Rob Bell's (he's not the first and only one to point this out, but he says it well) take on Immanuel in chapter 3 of his book, Velvet Elvis. It's the same point that our weekend series "Pop Spirituality" celebrated a year and a half ago. Signs of Jesus are all around us. Joy, laughter, giving, and love all mark the presence of our Christ – whether those experiencing life and relationships acknowledge him or not. Our call, our privilege is to point to the Light - wherever He is... whether it's a holiday or Christmas.

He’s here. In every "here". "God with us ... Immanuel."

Enter the dialog. But, do so informed. Do so with respect for people. Because people still matter to the God we celebrate on December 25th.

Merry Christmas ... and happy holidays!  [Read Part 2 here]