Christian perspective. I struggled with how consumer-centric the Holiday had become for a long time. You don’t see Rosh Hashanah, Ramadan, or Purim being hijacked like Christmas and Easter, after all, even though it is a SPECIFICALLY religious holiday. That used to really frustrate me, as a Southern Presbyterian who just wanted to quietly worship in peace with immediate family — without snowmen and reindeer and jingle bells being shoehorned in. (Santa can stay. He basically works for The Birthday Boy, and I don’t blame him for being jolly about it, lol.)
And then I tried writing a long, scathing thing about the unfairness of it all, and as O poured out my frustration, I realized two things:
- Its Jesus’ birthday, and another holy war is not a great present. Hasn’t He gotten enough of those? (I imagine He rolls His eyes and scoffs, “Thanks, I hate it" everything there’s a crusade.)
- Christmas may have become a more secular, commercial holiday, but look at how accessible that’s made it. Religion is so exclusive by nature; but didn’t Jesus come down here to bust down that wall? In a bizzare way, consumers culture is gently exposing more people to the power of love of God, without forcing anyone to choose a side, the way He intended. God wants to be chosen freely, which means introductions are in order. What better way than at His own birthday party, with “all the trappings”?
So, yeah, I could do without songs about snow when it will probably be in the 70s on Christmas morning, but I can be content — even happy — with what its become. ☺
