Christmas is a great, but often stressful time. I experienced this obvious truth in particular ways in the church where I was pastor for many years.
There was a woman in the church who starting the first week of Advent would wear a Santa hat and a pin that said, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”. I always wanted to reply cheekily “He is? I guess it’s good that people will know because of your pin.” She was a lovely person, older and tiny, but a whirlwind, easily upset. I loved her. She was also given to fall into some of the far-right battles around faith and religion and culture. In my faulty memory I sometimes recall that the pin said, “Keep Christ in Christmas”.
Whenever I did come across such an injunction I would want to reply by asking, “Who took Him out?”
I would remind the congregation that the supposed war on Christmas was a phantasm, it was a straw-man set up by people who wanted to oppose certain other people. It should never have been the job of the state, or of business, or of any government, to propagate the Christian faith. If any government, or business (say, for example, Starbucks) did take up the job of propagating the “message of Christmas” then you could be sure that the message would become distorted and co-opted, to sell coffee or to gain votes. I’m perfectly okay if my latte cup does not take up the task of communicating Christian faith.
As I pray through the story of Christmas, I sometimes have a little fun with the idea of “no room at the inn”. I think that those who insist that there is a war on Christmas would be pretty darn proud of themselves if they could have aggressively secured Mary and Joseph a really nice hotel room. Like maybe then God would finally be appreciated. Getting all wrapped up in false culture wars does not demonstrate faith. It might demonstrate a lack of faith. Jesus and Mary and Joseph did just fine in the run down stable. It is astounding how many times religious people try to improve upon how God has done things.
Weak religion insists that others believe what you believe. Weak religion insists that people appreciate what you appreciate. Hopeful faith knows the beauty of welcoming the light of the world in a feeding trough even as almost no one can figure out the immensity of what is going on. Forcing people to say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” is coercion, not love. Jesus didn’t force his way into a five star hotel. Christmas wasn’t forced then, you don’t need to force it now. And thank God that our faith does not require the recognition of commerce or government. It has always been more than that.
Spot on, Todd!