A Not-So-Merry Christmas
Years ago, at Christmastime, I was shopping at a large chain store.
As I stood in line to pay, I heard a phrase being repeated with considerable intensity.
“MERRY. CHRISTMAS.”
It was coming from the cashier.
She was looking every customer in the eye, definitely not smiling, and very intensely saying:
“MERRY. CHRISTMAS.”
It was neither merry nor overly Christmassy. This lady was making a point.
And I could guess what that point was.
Most major retail chains don’t say “Merry Christmas;” they say “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings,” wanting to respect their broad audience of customers from different faiths and beliefs who celebrate other holidays at this time of year.
But that day, as each customer paid, they were treated to a stranger intently staring them in the eyes without joy, and hearing her intense greeting:
“MERRY. CHRISTMAS.”
As my turn arrived, a manager walked up.
“I’m really sorry,” he said quietly to the cashier, “but again, we need you to refrain from highlighting specific holidays. Please say ‘Happy Holidays,’ or ‘Seasons Greetings.’ It’s not personal; we support your beliefs, but it’s just our corporate policy. We didn’t create it, but we do need to follow it.”
The manager left, and the cashier glared at me. As she rang up my items, she angrily grumbled under her breath about a “free country” and something about people “hating Jesus” and how her “rights were being taken away” and how she deserved to “celebrate” her faith.
At the moment, I honestly couldn’t think of what to say. I certainly share her religious convictions, but I was surprised by the level of her anger. I went to leave, but not before she handed me my change, stared into my eyes with anger and purpose, and again, merry-lessly said:
“MERRY. CHRISTMAS.”
“To What End?”
I don’t know what happened to that lady. I do hope she wasn’t disciplined or fired, and I hope she found some peace that holiday season.
But honestly, I also hope she adjusted her tactics, because I don’t think she was making Jesus, Christians, or Christmas look great.
And while the argument could certainly be made that she was being bold for her faith, the question would be, “To what end?”
All the customers she talked to seemed very uncomfortable, and not because talking about Jesus can sometimes make people uncomfortable. Her severity and agenda were off-putting, and I can’t imagine any unsaved person saying, “You seem super bitter and intense. Tell me more about this Jesus you speak of!!”
Had she approached things more warmly or less angrily, perhaps her actions would have had a positive impact on somebody.
But she wasn’t doing that; she was making the whole thing about her right to celebrate Jesus at work.
The actual celebration of Jesus was missing.
The “War” on Christmas
Every year around this time, there are well-meaning Christians who start talking about “The War on Christmas.” The enemy in this War is usually liberals, or atheists, or secular governments. The battleground is public spaces, airwaves, schools, stores, the political arena, etc., where some Christians want to see Jesus loudly and publicly proclaimed everywhere as “The Reason for the Season.”
And I know the motivation is sincere; these people are serious about their faith, and they are genuinely worried about Jesus being pushed out of the culture, feeling that it is their duty to ensure He remains at the forefront.
That, of course, is not a bad thing at all.
The problem is less with the motivation and more with the methods.
Calling this a “War on Christmas” seems silly when literally the entire North American culture acknowledges the holiday, the overwhelming majority celebrate it in one way or another, and everybody gets a legal statutory holiday every December 25, unlike with Jewish or Muslim or any other holidays.
Christmas itself is doing just fine.
The problem is less with the motivation and more with the methods.
The Way of Jesus
As well, Christ compels us to treat others the way we would wish to be treated (Matthew 7:12). If I lived as a Christian in a Muslim nation and didn’t celebrate their religious holiday of Ramadan, I wouldn’t be upset with that nation celebrating it, as I would be in the minority. But still, I would be very appreciative if Muslims were respectful of me, giving me space, not getting angry over my lack of celebrating their holiday, forcing me to say “Happy Ramadan!” against my will, or forcing my kids to say it in public school.
Since that is how I would wish to be treated, by following Christ’s teaching, it’s not that hard to treat others with the same respect.
And while we should, of course, applaud the sharing of Jesus and the Gospel everywhere, this is never something that we can force people to acknowledge against their will.
We know and trust that Jesus is indeed “The Reason for the Season,” and this is something that Christ-followers believe and proclaim.
But ultimately, it is simply not a corporation’s job to proclaim the birth of Christ. It is not any government’s job. It’s not the public school’s job. It’s not the secular world’s job.
That job belongs to the Church, and to the Church alone. The true meaning of Christmas is our responsibility to share.
When Non-Christians Act Like Non-Christians
If we’re getting angry with the government, a store, or our kids’ school because they aren’t being “Jesus-y” enough at Christmas time, the question is, “Why would they be?” I’m not personally promoting Ramadan because I don’t believe in it. If Muslims got angry with me over that, I would be confused as to why. Does anyone promote beliefs that they don’t believe in?
Should these institutions “get saved” and redeemed by Jesus, that’s a whole other story, and of course, we would love to see that. But in the meantime, I’ve yet to hear the testimony of a believer’s self-focused anger and frustration leading someone else to embrace and follow Christ.
Men win this “War on Christmas” by:
- not calling it a “war”;
- not getting mad at non-believers who act like non-believers;
- treating others how you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed;
- proclaiming loud and clear that we, the Christ-followers, believe that Jesus is the Reason for the Season, and why we believe that is so.
If a store or school won’t let us do so on their platform, then, without weakening our convictions at all, we simply find another way to do it, always with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15-16), in part because those virtues just go a lot further than anger and bitterness when you’re trying to get someone to listen to you.
Men don’t need to waste their energy getting frustrated with secular people and organizations who have not yet encountered Jesus or accepted Him. You were in that camp once, too. We should use our energy to celebrate His birth and share that news however we can.
Don’t fight a fruitless fight. Fight to put your time, words, and efforts in the right direction, joining with the witness of shepherds, angels, and wise men in connecting with those ripe for hearing that the Christ child has been born in Bethlehem, and that He is the hope of the world.
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