Someone just posted a serious (I suppose) question about how I'm handling the "War on Christmas."
Now....granted, I think "Holiday trees" are dumb, since in this country they've been traditionally called Christmas trees...but really...a war?
Last I checked, I can go to Church to celebrate Advent and Christmastide....I spend a LOT of time here on social media talking about Christmas and Advent. I can say Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or any other seasonal greeting I like while out in public. I can play religious hymns with ties to the holiday. I can go into a plethora of shops and buy Christmas cards (with Wise Men, and Nativities, and Angels and everything....I promise!) and Christmas wreathes, and Christmas presents, and wrap them with Christmas wrapping paper. I can put a Nativity up in our yard (though Monroe, heathen dog that he is, would knock down Joseph, I'm sure.)
It doesn't sound very "war like" to me. Not when I consider the people massacred for their faith in Kenya, or those still running and hiding from ISIS. I'm not in any danger, I don't feel threatened, I'm not in any discomfort, in fact....I'm doing exactly what I want to do, as I want to do it. I don't think war works like that.
Are there some corporations that tell their employees what greetings to use? Yes...because those corporations serve not only Christians, but also Jews (who have a holiday in the same few weeks), Buddhists, Hindus, Wiccans, Agnostics, Atheists and whomever else. Those corporations have made a business decision to try and appeal to as many people as possible. It's a money thing for them, not a hatred for the holiday that brings them the most financial gain through the course of the year. Yearly this seems to be what I hear people complain about the most...that cashiers either don't offer a season greeting or they offer the standard Happy Holidays. (Which only means Happy Holy Days...so what is the huge offense, really?)
If you want to see more of Christ in Christmas, here are a few ideas:
Go visit the elderly, and bring them Christmas joy.
Go feed the hungry, and take them a blanket or coat while you're at it.
Be generous to charities collecting for the needy...there is far more need out there than you probably realize.
BE NICE. Show the love of Christ to people in how you treat them and talk to them.
Go caroling, and sing those carols and hymns you love. (I think visiting senior centers is the best place to carol, as they love the visit and the music.)
Help your Church put up a Nativity, if every church and every Christian home in your town put up a Nativity in their front yards, it wouldn't matter if there was one in the park or not.
Look to see the good in people. And look to see if anyone is acting sad or withdrawn, there is a lot of depression at this time of year. If you know someone is having a hard time, listen to them, talk with them, let them know you love them.
No one is keeping you from celebrating Christ's birth, but there are a lot of people trying to trick you into thinking you should be spending this season of joy snipping and snapping at people who have the "audacity" to give you a seasonal greeting that's not on your preferred list of greetings. (Gasp...they said Happy Holidays to me instead of Merry Christmas...do you think Jesus wants me to celebrate His birth by yelling at them and calling them names?) By being stirred up and angry, you're missing out on the whole point of the season of Advent, and the celebration of Christmastide....peace, joy and goodwill.
Peace, joy and goodwill. Kinda hard to find those in the middle of a "war." So I don't know about you, but I'm not going to play that game. I'd rather go to services, laugh with my husband, sing carols, drink eggnog, shop for those I love, decorate and maybe...just maybe bake cookies. (Don't hold your breath though Charles.....) With so much joy to be had, why focus on anything else?
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