We hear it every year. “The world has taken Christ out of Christmas!”
Sometimes, this concern comes wrapped up in a scathing anecdote. “I saw a sign today that replaced ‘Christmas’ with ‘X-mas’!” Or, “Happy Holidays has replaced Merry Christmas!”
Yes, ‘tis the season for people of the Christian faith to get upset because the world is ruining Christmas.
Well, if this concern in any way reflects the Christmas angst in your heart, I would like to offer a different perspective that might help you.
Christmas is just fine.
While it’s true that how the world celebrates Christmas has changed, here are 3 important truths you can take with you this Christmas season…
1. Just because the world seems to have taken Christ out of their Christmas, doesn’t mean you have to take Christ out of your Christmas.
In my home, and in my heart, Christmas remains a celebration of the incarnation. And this can be absolutely true of your Christmas.
Our job is not to change how the shopping malls celebrate Christmas. Our job, and our joy, is to celebrate incredible story of God’s love in our hearts, and in our homes.
2. Christians complaining about how the world celebrates Christmas is not very appealing.
“You’re doing it all wrong,” will not draw many people to the loving message of Christ. A “Keep Christ in Christmas” bumper sticker won’t warm people up to truth of the gospel.
When Jesus looked over the crowds, he saw them as “sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36), and it moved him deeply. He didn’t complain about them. He loved them. May this be true of each one of us this Christmas, and always.
3. The best way to keep Christ in Christmas is to let the world see Him in you.
Keeping Christ in Christmas is not about making sure signs say “Christmas” not “Xmas”, and it’s not about making sure there are nativity scenes in the mall.
It’s about letting the light of Christ shine brightly wherever you go. Let people see the luminous glow of Christ living through you, expressed in kindness, truth and grace.
Many of us have memories of Christmases from years ago when the “true meaning of Christmas” was much more apparent in our culture than it is today.
But be encouraged. Christmas is alive and well, as long as it is alive and well in your heart and in your home.
Merry Christmas.
