Merry Christmas, One and All!
To those of you who embrace Christmas either as 1) a committed follower of Jesus of Nazareth, 2) those who simply honor the history of a selfless, loving teacher and enjoy the “giving” spirit generated by God’s gift of His son, or 3), those who do not considers themselves as Christians and wish the whole religious aspect of the season to go away… I wish upon you all a truly merry day, full of family, friends, food, and frivolity.
For those in the first category, I trust this day will be joyous and deeply meaningful … although I know that it has been tough year for many. It has been a year fraught with bold public attacks against your religious faith and such things have not happened on this scale or with this ferocity in the history of this nation. I encourage you to stand firm… and be assured that it will get worse… but your faith is not in man but in a sovereign God who laughs at the nations. Many nations have come and gone and seen the rise and fall of a Christian presence. The outcome here is in the hands of a sovereign God and a faithful people. If you do not stand up as citizens with the same rights as others, you will be pushed aside and made irrelevant at best, and shoved down and persecuted, at worst. If you stand up as followers of Jesus, the presence of your faith will determine how you respond to these things. Your elder brother Paul suffered greatly at the hands of the nation of Rome, but he counted it as gain to do so… and continued to love each and every soul that came across his path. It is your choice to use the same math as Paul.
For those of you who enjoy the Christmas season not as a particularly “religious” season, I wish upon you a truly merry day, full of family, friends, food, and frivolity. The spirit of giving is healthy for the soul and whether you do so in a reflection of God’s gift or not, I know that it gives your heart joy to see smiles in the faces of those your love, whether friends, family, or strangers in need.
For those of you who are not a fan of Christianity in particular or religion in general, I wish upon you a truly merry day, full of family, friends, food, and frivolity. I do want you to have a merry time on a day that is known around the world as Christmas. If today were New Years’ day and you did not follow the western calendar, I would still wish upon you a happy new year. It would be New Year’s day whether you celebrated it or not, and I would still want you to be happy. When people wish you a Merry Christmas, they are not automatically assuming a faith or religion in you. They are doing nothing more than allowing their joy to spill over and wanting others to experience that. If this is not your faith, I suggest you simply acknowledge that they are wishing you happiness on a day that they also are happy. There is no crime in this, nor is there moral fault. It is a good, kind and loving act and desire.
So, to all a Merry Christmas! I am grateful to still be alive and to be meaningful to my fellow man, and no matter who or where you are on the planet or in your journey, I wish upon you a greater understanding of truth and a greater experience of the goodness that there is in the universe.
Jim