November/December 1999
What's thePoint?
He Is!
by Steve Brown
I've been thinking about Christmas. It's hard to get away from it. It's hard to ignore the Christmas trees, the Christmas music and the Christmas advertisements. It's hard to go anywhere without being assaulted with Christmas promotions.
The U.S. courts have said that it is permissible for us to celebrate Christmas, to close down government and schools and to make reference to the holiday in our public institutions because, they say, the religious nature of the day is no longer relevant. Christmas has become a secular holiday. Given the court rulings about the secular nature of Christmas, we are probably the only country on earth which has a major, national holiday without any reason to have a major, national holiday -- sort of a celebration for awell uhsort of a celebration.
There was a news story some time ago about what was happening in Birmingham, England's second largest city. The city council made a decision to eliminate Christmas. No, they didn't stop celebrating December 25th. They just changed its name to "Winterval."
Mark Santer, the bishop of Birmingham, said, "I think it is really rather dreary and flat-footed inventing a silly name like 'Winterval' that nobody can even remember."
"It is a totally unnecessary example of political correctness," said John Barton, the archdeacon of Ashton. "It is an inappropriate way to avoid sensitivities people simply do not have."
The city council says "Winterval" is a catchy name for its 42-day calendar of winter festivities in December and the New Year.
"There is no slur on anyone or any religious faith," a spokesman said.
Five years ago the same council of Birmingham had to scrap plans to change "Christmas Lights" to "Festive Lights." So many people protested, they finally gave up. There is the hope that this idea to do away with the name "Christmas" will meet the same kind of opposition. But maybe not.
In fact, maybe the city council in Birmingham is on to something. Maybe we could have a Winterval in America. I've often thought we ought to give Christmas to the Pagans anyway. We could pick a day in the summer when believers could celebrate the birth of our King without all the stuff. We could have our own birthday party for Jesus, and we wouldn't have to include all the extraneous cultural things that have become so associated with Christmas but which have nothing whatsoever to do with Christ.
Pointless
You don't like parties?
Well, yes. I do. But this one seems so pointless. You know what they've done with your Son's birthday? They've taken him out of it, and frankly, I don't like it.
I know.
I know you do. You know everything. Still, it doesn't seem right to forget about Jesus when he's the whole point. I just wish you would do something about it.
What do you want me to do? Do you want me to tell them they can't have a party? Would you like me to strike them all dead? How about sending down fire and brimstone? That would be nice.
Child, you are far more angry than I am about this whole thing.
Maybe it's my attitude that needs fixing and not what they've done with Christmas. Maybe I ought to rethink this Christmas thing.
That would be a good idea. And while you're doing the rethinking, have you ever thought that everybody in the malls around Christmas is there for someone else? It is a miracle the way people reach out to others at Christmas. That miracle includes a kindness and generosity one doesn't often see at other times of the year. And think about this: No one who works a miracle in my name can soon afterward speak evil of me. For he who is not against us is on our side.
That's in the Bible!
I know.
You know something?
I know.
I know you know, it's just an expression. I feel a whole lot better about Christmas now. Seems I've been getting depressed about Christmas, and I should have talked to you about it.
That wouldn't have been a bad idea. Remember that Christmas isn't only for my people. It's for others too. Child, you will have opportunities at Christmas parties to speak of me in ways that you can't during the rest of the year. People are more open to truth and to me now than at any other time. Don't beat them over the head with it, but let them know about me. They will listen now. They won't most other times.
So, I've prayed about it. I'm not as depressed as I was. I'm going to enjoy all the Christmas festivities, but I'm also going to keep a watch for Pagans who wonder why they're celebrating. I'm going to tell them whose party it really is. Some of them may even listen.
Do you know what to give someone at Christmas who has everything?
Give up? Give them a burglar alarm.
And along with the burglar alarm, give them Jesus.
Tell them that the parties are even better if you have a reason to have one.
He asked me to remind you.
Steve Brown is a seminary professor in Orlando, Florida. He is seen weekly with Tony Campolo on the cable TV program Hashing It Out.