What if They Gave a (Christmas) War, and Nobody Came?

I began writing this post with a desire to make a statement about the Christmas Wars.

Each year about this time the Christmas Wars ramp up to a fevered pitch. Each year, for the past several years, American news media has had a field day playing up all the faked controversy over Christmas in the public square.

Should it be called Christmas vacation or winter break?

Are Christmas trees offensive in public offices?

Can people say "Merry Christmas" to each other, or is that a remark of such offense that it's nearly equal with the "N" word in some circles?

Oh, I was getting myself all worked up to write a scathing, visceral treatise on the nincompoops* who want to take Christ out of Christmas when........

I just lost the desire. My arms got kinda tired, my eyes began to glaze over, and I began staring unfocused at a fascinating little shiny silver stripe on the side of my boot.

Took me a moment to realize it was a zipper, and that I'd lost all motivation to write about the Christmas Wars.

Or at least I'd lost the motivation to participate in the Christmas Wars.

I got to thinking, do I really care at all?

The conclusion I came to was.... no, not really.

I don't care about competing atheist and Christian billboards, or Oklahoma Senators who won't ride in a parade because the name of the parade has been changed, or Christmas villages in Philadelphia that have come under attack.

I don't care. I really don't. The stuff sucks the life outta me.

I think a great number of people feel the same way, too. Just sucks the life outta ya.

You know who else I don't think cares about these Christmas Wars?

God.

Seriously. I don't think God is getting all worked up over the Christmas Wars.

I mean, God knows who He is, and He's certainly not threatened by whatever we believe or don't believe. God is God, and I think He's pretty confident in His position.

I think all of our righteous indignation and resolute posturing on His behalf is pretty pointless. In fact, I think if God is upset at anyone in the Christmas Wars, He's probably the most upset at His people who try to defend Him - as if He needs defending.

I certainly don't think He's upset with non-believers acting like non-believers.  That's normal.  What's not normal is believers acting like non-believers, and you know what? The world takes note.

Look at what Salon magazine - an on-line magazine admittedly unfriendly to religion - says about the Christmas Billboard Wars going on in New York this year:

"Proving yet again that one arrogant, jerky and desperately attention-getting action begets another, those yahoos at the Catholic League have glommed on to the American Atheists' War on Christmas." 

See, when people of faith attempt to defend that which needs no defense, especially in the public square, the defense will most always backfire. God will never be proven right using the world's methods.

Ever.

The world will see the efforts as foolish and arrogant, almost every time.

The Apostle Paul, perhaps the best "defender of the faith" there ever was, made the point this way in 1st Corinthians 1:18a -

"I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction..."

Paul understood that most people see faith as sort of silly. Defending something which seems silly appears to be.... well..... dumb.

What Paul goes on to say, though, is what Christians get all riled up and angry over

 "...but we who are being saved recognize this message (of the cross) as the very power of God."

Christians say to themselves, how dare the world trample on God's wonderful message! Don't they understand, Jesus is the power of salvation in the world! How dare you disrespect our God!


Paul understood - the world won't get the message of the joy and hope that Jesus offers until God reveals it to them, and plants it in their hearts. That's what God did for me, and wants to do for everyone.  But, we can't force people to have faith, and let's face it - even with the best evidence and arguments in the world, God's existence can't be proven.

Proving and revealing God to the world is God's job.

I don't think He cares about the Christmas Wars one way or another.

What I think God does care about is His people living our lives, at Christmas and throughout the year, in way that shows God's love to the world.  He cares because this is the kind argument, if you will, that get's the world's attention.

Jesus said, in Matthew 22:37-40

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  The second is equally important.: love your neighbor as yourself. All the other commandments and demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

Love your neighbor as yourself.  Those are simple, yet deceivingly difficult words to live by.

How do we respond to those who wrong us, or injure us, or just plain make us angry?

How do we respond to the fast food worker who gets our order wrong, and doesn't seem to care?

How do we show love to the person who slips their car into that parking space we've been patiently waiting for, then trots into the store without a single look in our direction?

How do we show, every day, in every action we take, God's love?

My answer is in letting the Holy Spirit cultivate in us the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:

"but when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

That's the kind of Christmas spirit I think God enjoys.  This is the kind of evidence for God that people take notice of, and hold in respect.  Goodness, although sometimes mocked, is never truly frowned upon, and everyone wishes for it in their lives, to one degree or another.

When we love one another, and show kindness to one another, especially to those outside the "Christian family", God uses that kind of love as His billboards to the world. 

Tears of Black Friday

Today is Black Friday.

I'm sleepy.  Yawn. 

Alene and Liz have a holiday tradition, along with about 35 million of their closest friends, of going out in the early morning cold each Friday after Thanksgiving and committing economic stimulus.

That's shopping, to the rest of us. 

They tend to find some super deals on Christmas gifts, so I really can't fault them.  They seem to have a really good time, too.  I just can't get up that early to do something that doesn't involve nylon line and hooks, or shotgun shells and blinds.  

Since I don't hunt, that just leaves the line and hooks.

And I haven't actually fished in a few years, so I guess that means I don't want to get up that early for pretty much anything. 

Except this morning.  

Alene has been having a wonderful/exciting/terrifying time with this whole wedding thing.  What began as a simple little ceremony on the lawn behind the church or in a park has morphed into a somewhat larger event.  

Which I'm perfectly fine with, don't misunderstand.  I'm excited and joyous and honored to marry Alene in any venue, anywhere, whenever she wants to do it. 

I will do it in the rain, I will do it on a train.  I will say "I do" to you, even if I'm turning blue.  

You get the idea.  

I am ecstatic at the idea of sharing our day with many, many friends.   We're just making adjustments on the fly as we go, which is driving Alene crazy.  

So, last week Alene found a wedding dress in which she looks, in the words of her daughter, "smokin'", and she bought it, after which she got the first full night of sleep she'd had since she told me "yes" on the bench at the lake.

One thing off our list. 

Oh, who am I kidding, off her list. 

She won't even let me look at pictures of her in the dress, or a picture of the dress alone, but whatever.  I know she'll be beautiful because she is beautiful, in a way that makes the sun and the moon and the stars stand still and take notice, that makes the oceans ..... oh... uhm... 

Whooo.... breathe....

OK.

So this morning she was on a mission to find wedding rings for us at the Black Friday sales.  She asked me, if she found some rings she liked if I'd meet her at the store.

At 4am.

Or 5am.  

Silly me, I said of course I would. 

So, Liz calls me at a little after 5am, saying they were at JC Penny and Alene found some rings she liked. I got dressed, baseball hat, t-shirt, sweatpants, and jacket, no coffee, and drove bleary-eyed over to Sunrise Mall to the Penny's jewelry counter to meet up. 

Aaaaand they weren't there.  I called Alene who said they were over at Sears, and would be right over.

Two minutes later, after power-walking the mall, Alene and Liz show up, giggling and out of breath. 

Crazy Black Friday shoppers.  

Anyway, the rings were gorgeous.  Turns out I have fat fingers so we had to order mine, but Alene's we brought home right then.  We walked to our cars, I hugged and kissed her goodbye, (they were going to continue shopping) and I drove home. 

They walked back into Pennys where,  Liz tells me, she asked if Alene needed a moment to collect herself.  

Alene stood in the men's section of Penny's and cried tears of joy. 

Another thing off her list, yes, but the greater joy was the reality setting in: she and I are actually, truly, really really really going to be married.  

I'm actually, truly, really really really going to marry her.  

So, here's to Black Friday.  You can keep your 70% off electronics and household goods, and your lines around the store.  

I'll take my fiancée and make her my bride, at any price.

At any time of the morning. 

I look forward to another restful night's sleep with another thing crossed off our... er... her list.