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Christmas Time Again in America

Is Christmas a time of magical wonderment and spiritual joy for you?

Christmas is here again. The traditional dashing about is in full swing. While the Christmas lights and decorations go up, the nativity scenes across this country are coming down. Atheists are at work spewing abhorrence for a season that is a joyous celebration for most Americans; but to them, it's a fairy tale.

"A billboard recently released in several traditionally conservative 'Bible Belt' states is stirring controversy ahead of the Christmas holiday. The inflammatory billboards show a young girl writing a letter to Santa. The letter reads, "Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is to skip church! I'm too old for fairy tales."

In response to the inflammatory billboard, Billy Hallowell (a journalist and founder of Pathufind Media) reported on a group of employees who paid for a billboard of their own. Hallowell wrote, "Johnson said that staffers at his company were so bothered by a billboard funded by American Atheists, a New Jersey-based activist group, that they collected money and each pitched in to pay for the Merry Christmas message."

Aside from the vitriol and commercial aspects of Christmas, this holiday season has always occupied a special place in the hearts of many Americans. As a child, I treasured the Christmas story, the wonder of angels singing, and the majesty of three kings visiting the Christ child in a manger (Luke 2:7). The candle light service on Christmas Eve with hymns of "Holy Night" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" are enduring memories for many across America. The exchanging of gifts was always a delight and a solemn reminder of the greatest gift of all (Acts 2:38; 8:20; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8).

The move to abolish the Christmas season started with an idea. Ideas have consequences. Bad ideas left unchecked can turn into big ideas with big consequences. Legal rulings to appease a few at the expense of most are like an underwater creature coming up from beneath the sea. You cannot see the creature until it surfaces.

Greek mythology students know this creature as the Hydra, having the likeness of a hideous monster with multiple heads. The multiple heads on this diabolical dragon-like creature are snapping and hissing at the Christmas spirit while lobbying to abolish the practice of the traditional Christmas holiday and perhaps one day the Christian.

While the idea for ending Christmas is not new, it is unimaginable for most. Ideas that destroy begin small and slowly erode away at mighty things, like rust over time dissolving iron. The Christmas season for believers is special, endearing, and traditional.

The season is not so much about the gifts we exchange nor the decorations and merriment of family and friends, although an essential part of it. The season is about Jesus, the Savior who is the greatest gift of all. To me, he is not a fairy-tale because of him I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We can celebrate the season and give thanks because we live in time and place like America, a lighthouse of hope to the world whose light is now flickering.

Every concession given to this anti-Christmas spirit is nourishment to deepen its appetite and fortify its evil resolve. You can smell the stench of its hatred driven by a dark spirit, foreboding in deed and intolerant of anyone sharing messages of hope, love, and goodwill to all men (Luke 2:12-14).

Our minds do not always comprehend why things are as they are in a place like America. Our souls were not made to grapple with such darkness, dread, and confusion. Peace on earth and good will towards men is a message of love thy neighbor. Even now at this late hour, more than ninety-percent of Americans plan to celebrate the Christmas season in one form or another. The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in the souls of Americans.

This anti-Christmas spirit from the deep sea of godlessness will continue to push its "freedom from religion" agenda. To do less would mean giving in to biblical truth that condemns their immorality, exposing them as loveless beings overflowing with vile passions (John 7:7; John 14:6). These who serve the creature will continue to hate our Lord and Savior, cringe at the utterance of Merry Christmas, and view our affection for Christ as a fairy-tale and unfitting for their "new-age ideology." No matter!

In closing, we can still celebrate the season regardless of our circumstances (Romans 8:28) and put aside those who live and move in the darkness of soul. We can still sing carols and hymns even though godless souls scheme against us (2 Chronicles 20:22). We have no apology to give and certainly no obligation to roll over like lapdogs to appease their ideology of godlessness. Let them be what they are…alone and afraid to acknowledge One greater than they.

Through it all, we learn to love God and love people, freely forgiving those who hate us (Luke 23:34).

Christmas for the believer can still be a time of dashing about in merriment and wishing everyone, including those who deride us, a very Merry Christmas! (Luke 6:35)

Image Credit: daniel; Untitled; Creative Commons

Tags: Biblical-Truth | Celebrating-Holidays | Current-Issues

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Published 11-26-12; Updated 12/11/14