Christmas…you're meaningless. Hanukkah…your nine candles are festive, but that's about it. Kwanzaa…I think you're an African holiday, but I'm not really sure.
But so as not to offend any of you, I'm going to wish you and anyone I meet during the next month or so a hearty "happy holidays." I hope you can appreciate my thoughtful effort at being sensitive.
That seems to be the mindset of about half the population these days. The other half thinks more along these lines:
"We're a nation founded on Christianity, and by golly, I'm going to say 'Merry Christmas' whether you like it or not."
With possible exception that people don't really say "by golly" anymore, this is the mindset of the self-proclaimed "pro-Christmas" crowd. They're the ones boycotting the local McDonald's because the cashier said the horribly offensive double-H phrase after serving them a Quarter Pounder.
But lost in this silly battle over how to greet one another during the month of December is the small voice of Linus van Pelt saying "Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about."
Because we've all seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas" at least 20 times, the axiom that Christmas has gotten too commercial has, in itself, gotten too commercial. Each year, we gorge ourselves with food, empty our bank accounts on presents and sing "O Christmas Tree" until Santa Claus comes, all the while telling ourselves to remember the "true" meaning of Christmas.
But we don't. If we did, we'd spend less time doing those things and arguing over salutations and more time in deep thought - or worse, in prayer.
It's not about "Merry Christmas," for those of us who celebrate it. It's not about "Happy Holidays." It's not about spending time with family and friends (although that's not a bad side effect).
It's not even about the baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.
It's about us. What we are celebrating on Dec. 25, whether we choose to realize it or not, is the offer of a second chance that our Creator has given to us every day for the past two millennia. We gather and give gifts in recognition of the forgiveness God offers us - if we only ask for it.
During this season of boxes and bows, many of us choose to ignore that gift. If we're religious at all, we're part timers. We might attend church service or read the Bible around Christmastime if we feel obligated to do so, but on the 26th, it's "See ya next year." We live our lives with no real consistency, no commitment to the ideals we profess when the season rolls around once a year.
We celebrate the holiday with no real thought of why we do it, and no real consideration of the truthfulness of the fact that perhaps God does exist, and perhaps 2,000 years ago, a savior really was born in Bethlehem.
We spend so much time during the year arguing and bickering over "tolerance" for our fellow man's beliefs that we forget to investigate our own. Blind faith is a weak faith - and when weak faith isn't supported, it dies. When our entire religious experience is that "Jesus loves us," it's easy to think skeptically and dismiss the idea altogether, especially when no one seems to have good answers to the questions of existence that plague all of our minds at some point, and religion is just so darn prohibitive.
But good answers are out there, and we owe it to ourselves this holiday season to give some real thought to the most important question we will face in our lifetimes. Religion is less prevalent in today's society than at any point in history, but that doesn't mean it's less relevant. Good answers are harder to find in popular society today than ever before, simply because fewer people have them. Fewer people take the time to educate themselves on the historical evidence, logic and trustworthiness of the outlandish claims of organized religion. It takes digging. It takes time. And it takes a commitment to finding the truth in an age where truth often isn't welcome.
But there's a reason that 2,000 years later, the most-celebrated birthday in the world is still that of a first-century Jewish carpenter. This Christmas, let's consider why we do it.
Be the first to comment on this article!