I appreciate the information you send me about the attacks on Christianity by modern culture. I frequently respond to the information you send me by voicing my opinion in an e-mail to the offender or by voting with my shopping dollars. However, in some cases I do not respond at all. I thought I would take a moment to explain why.
1. As someone once said: "We were called to be witnesses, not judges." Sometimes too much griping and whining only serves to muddy our message. They're supposed to know we are Christians by our love.
2. We may have legal rights based upon our citizenship (and we should certainly do everything we can to fight for the rights of others) but it is unseemly to constantly be demanding our own rights. The whole concept of human rights is a human notion, and a good one at that, but you and I know that in reality we don't have any rights. By the Grace of God what we do have are privileges and responsibilities. It is our responsibility and privilege to bear any hardship as we fulfill our mission to share the gospel.
3. The Christian Church has always thrived under persecution. Rather than complaining about the hardships we endure because we share the name of our savior we should count it all joy. After all, "calm ships don't make good sailors".
4. Target (for example) may not allow Salvation Army bell ringers but I noticed that one year they were selling a CD of Christmas Carols inside and giving a portion of the proceeds to the Salvation Army.
5. I'm not offended by the expression, "Happy Holiday". Actually, it's kind of funny that the P.C. world thinks wishing people a "Happy Holiday" is a more secular expression than "Merry Christmas" since it actually means "Happy Holy Day".
6. Christmas has come to represent that time of year that failing businesses can count on a boost to their bottom line as we all spend money we don't have on products we don't need as we gather with family and friends to celebrate what?... Excessive food, drink and materialism? Or the birth of a small baby to a young Palestinian couple, of the tribe of Judah, at the birthplace of King David, who would one day sacrifice his life for all of humanity.
So when I don't respond to an e-mail warning me that stores are no longer promoting Christmas shopping, excuse me if I don't weep at the de-materialization of Christmas. Christ's mass was never intended to be celebrated in the malls anyway, but in our churches, our homes, our families, and our hearts. That said, I will try to buy less this year and give more. The little I do spend will probably be spent in stores that have a Salvation Army bell ringer out front and I will make a donation on my way by. I will miss being wished a Merry Christmas by the clerk as s/he hands me my purchases but I'll survive. I would not be offended to be greeted by a Happy Hanukkah, or a Happy Kwanza, should I happen to be shopping on one of the days of those festivals. I don't believe that African Americans or Jewish people are offended by Christmas either. Of coarse this may call for the curtailing our festive shopping frenzy until (gasp) a few days/weeks before the actual day. No more listening to Christmas carols while being wished a happy hallowe'en by the clerk who just totaled your back-to-school order.
Sincerely,
Ann Kognito <>< + <3 :)
P.S.
It is kind of funny how it's okay to say happy hallowe'en but not Merry Christmas? On October 31st shouldn't store clerks be required to wish us a happy unholy day? LOL :)
Happy unholy day... That's funny. I agree with you that we shouldn't get all bent out of shape about trivial things. As an aside I think it's interesting when I perceive Hallowe'en as being evil and Christmas as good when arguably the greed, materialism and gluttony of Christmas is much worse. Both are rooted in pagan festivals.
ReplyDeleteWell there's my best Debbie Downer impersonation.
Live everyday like its a holy day and every night like its all hallowed eve... Happy holidays!
Well said Debbie:) BTW, I don't know if you realize it but you're the one that got me thinking about the whole concept of "Human Rights". It was a day like any other. The Lord's day in point of fact. I was catching a ride home with you from church and W. was complaining about the fact that: a.) he got in trouble from the adults for swinging on the church gate at the end of services and that b.) you were siding with the adults! I believe his argument revolved around the notion that kids have rights too. You proceeded to set him straight about the notion of rights being an abstract (and sometimes self-serving) concept with no guarantees by saying, "We don't have any rights". Of course, pot-stirrer that I am, I chirped up from the back of the van with, "What about the right to life?" ... Much later as I mulled over what you were trying to say (before you were so rudely interrupted), I got it. We don't have any control over how we are treated. All we can control is how we respond, and how we treat others. Even an innocent child in the womb has no vehicle with which to demand her so-called "right to life". She too is at the mercy of others. It is our privilege and our responsibility to be merciful to others.
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