Words are my life. I am not a great writer (as you probably already know) but the spoken word is my life. It is was I primarily do as a living. I love to be in conversation with groups and individuals. The use of words to convey truth, feelings, description of events, etc, excites me. Because I speak in public so much, I also have moments when words have failed me. The blooper reel of those moments are cradled in my memory. So I can sympathize with those who struggle with words. Being tongue tied is no fun in any moment. This season of the year, I am finding a moment frequently where I have struggled to know what to say.
When I go to a register to purchase my items, I am often greeted with a wish for me to have a Happy Holiday. In response, I have responded back automatically, Happy Holiday. Every time that happens, I look around to see if anyone heard me and know what I do for a living. I worry I will lose my job, be kicked out of the church or lose the respect of children everywhere. I know there is a great deal of pressure to say back with conviction, Merry Christmas!!! I have been told of how the unsaved hoards of humanity are attempting to kick Christ out of Christmas. I know, for many, the moment of a faith stance is exactly in the face of the secular destruction of the way we greet each other in this holy season. So Merry Christmas!!! There!
The problem is I am not really on board with this. You see, I really don’t think the place I am called to fight for the Christian faith is in the face of a overworked underpaid cash register attendant in some box store who is probably just repeating for the 700th time the greeting the boss said to say. I am not ready to reject the well wishes of anyone anytime. Christians have a way of getting excited about the trivial causes some seem to think that are so important. A few years ago, real Christians were all upset about the right for the Ten Commandment to be displayed in public places. What intrigued me then was didn’t someone raise the question as to maybe instead of the Ten Commandments, we could take a look at the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5 or Luke 6. If you really want to get into a conversation of the core of Christian faith, that is where you start.
I really don’t think Christ is offended when I say Happy Holiday. I hope the person does have a happy holiday. I do not know if they are Christian or not. I also do not think I will convert anyone with a declaration of Merry Christmas. I do not believe the secular world is trying to take Christ out of Christmas. We have given it away.
We gave it away when we agreed to increase our business revenue by selling more stuff for Christmas. If I really wanted to take a stance of what I believe, I would buy less at Christmas, care for the poor and go to fewer parties and more soup kitchens. And if I really wanted to take a Christmas stance, I would keep giving and serving others through the year. For Christmas is about integrity, humility and a life of loving service and sacrifice. If we really want to beat back secularization, perhaps for the following year we should actually follow after the example of the one who we so adamantly want to push down other people’s throats for a few weeks in December. That will make a difference in us and in fact in others.
So say Merry Christmas. It is a great gift of blessing we can say to others. But accept a Happy Holiday. Even give a few. For if we learn anything at Christmas, it is that Jesus was willing to meet us where we are and then love us enough with grace and mercy so our lives could be changed forever.
