Holidays

It's really interesting how advertising shapes our culture. I remember growing up and right after Thanksgiving advertisers would begin their CHRISTMAS commercials. Soon after there would be acknowledgement of HANUKKAH and the lighting of the Menorah. Now in an effort not to offend anyone and to make more sales we now have "THE HOLIDAYS".

The United States was not founded on the watering down of our culture and beliefs into something acceptable to all. It was based on freedom! Freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the freedom of religion. What was once a sacred season of celebration and reflection has turned into an almost meaningless "holiday" where everything sacred is lost in a frenzy of commercialized holiday cheer.

It's like having a family of six celebrate their individual birthdays on one day! Let's group them all together and just have one big "holiday". After all we're all celebrating the same thing, right? Wrong! My birthday is the celebration of my addition to my family and the community at large. I am not them and they are not me. We are unique. Variety is good. Each of the "Holidays" that we have grouped together do not celebrate the same thing.

Sure we can group it all under one category "The Holidays" but we lose the importance of what the day or season was about in the first place. Don't tell me that we are all celebrating the same thing. I'm celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. That has absolutely nothing to do with Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Ramadan or any other religious observance held around this time of year. It's ok that England doesn't celebrate the fourth of July. I wouldn't either if I were them. But they understand our celebration and can join in it with us if they would like to but that doesn't change the reason for the celebration.

I am neither a nationalist nor am I a separatist. I am a Christian wanting to celebrate what I consider to be the most important birth on earth and His name is Jesus. Christmas celebrates His birth. It celebrates the birth of our Redeemer. This is too important of an event to me to celebrate as just a "Holiday". It reminds us that God is with us and that God loves us. All of us! Christians and non-Christians alike. Jesus shed His blood for all men and for that has been given a name that is above all names.

The celebration of Christmas may dwarf the other celebrations going on during this time of the year. But, here in America, there are more Christians than any other religion. I don't think they celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah openly in Pakistan. Not if they want to live. There are still places on the earth today where people are being abused, tortured and killed for believing in Christ. So, in America to be politically correct and to sell more merchandise we celebrate "the Holidays".

Well, they're not totally prohibiting my freedom of celebrating the birth of Christ yet as long as the creche on my private lawn isn't too big and we remember not to wish each other the blessings of Christmas. Better to have a santa and celebrate "the Holidays". We are becoming a nation of politicians without convictions.

May God bless you and yours this Christmas and may you find the joy and peace He came to give!

Merry Christmas,

Ed