Please Lord, No More Business as Usual

I've seen this picture making the rounds on Facebook.  Most everyone likes it.  Most everyone comments positively on it. I think most Facebooker's see it as a positive 'push back' against the forces that would remove 'Christ' from 'Christmas' - a return shot in the battle to win the Christmas Season back from the Holiday Hordes.

With my recent desire to see the world through Kingdom Eyes, though - through the lens of The Word and the lens of God's great love for his entire world shown to us through Jesus - I can't help but scratch my head.

Jesus might well miss hearing us say 'Merry Christmas', but if I had to guess, I'd think Jesus is missing us hear a great many other things too.  Things much more important than 'Merry Christmas'.

From where I stand, 'Merry Christmas' seems to be just a phrase - a combination of two words put together in such a fashion as to convey some sort of meaning. The meaning of the words change according to the context in which they are used.

To most people in America, 'Merry Christmas' is little more than a pleasant social greeting used especially during the months of November and December, often followed by the phrase 'and Happy New Year'. To most Americans, the phrase 'Merry Christmas' conveys little or no religious or Christian message at all.  For a vast segment of society, it is a social pleasantry, nothing more.

Hence the deafening silence from most people when society began the shift from 'Merry Christmas' to 'Happy Holidays'.  Most don't care either way, because the phrase, to them, is a simple greeting meant to convey nothing more than a 'happy hello' during the last part of the year.

I've also head 'Merry Christmas' used as sort of a curse-word substitute.  We've all heard someone who has received some bad news say in a sarcastic tone, 'Merry Christmas to me!', clearly meaning to convey their disappointment or perceived bad luck in a certain set of circumstances.

So when Social Christians - Christians more concerned with the social battle over the pleasantries and appearances of christian life than the true battle for the hearts of men and women - take solace and rejoice in a shot across the bow of the heathens and pagans in society who are trying to take 'Christ out of Christmas'....... it makes me sad.

Truly.  Sad.

Sad because I think they/we (Christians all) tend to miss the bigger picture here.

Sad because Jesus is not just the Christ of Christmas, but the Christ of all-year-long and all-things-everywhere-all-day-every-day! Forever and ever!

Sad because Jesus is not just the Christ of Christmas in America, but all over the world!

Jesus is the Christ of Christmas in starving villages driven to famine by religious war in Africa.

Jesus is the Christ of Christmas in cities and towns in China and North Korea, where individual liberty is trampled, human rights are denied, and Christians are killed for their faith.

Jesus is the Christ of Christmas in town and cities all across the Middle East, where women are oppressed under draconian governments and dictators and religions.

Jesus is the Christ of Christmas in the streets and alleys of cities across America, where homeless and drug-addled people struggle for survival among the teaming masses of the most prosperous nation the world has ever known.

Jesus is even the Christ of Christmas in the diamond cases of Macy's and De Beer's, on the floors of Toys R Us and Walmart, and in the cozy, smoke and gin filled country clubs of San Francisco and Seattle and New York.

Jesus is the Christ of Christmas on the beaches of Miami and San Diego, and atop the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, the Rockies, and the towering Himalayas.  

Jesus is the Christ of Christmas everywhere - all the time.

Not just at Christmas.

Do you see?

I don't think Jesus cares all that much about whether or not American's say 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Holidays' during November and December.

Instead, I think Jesus cares a lot more about out hearts, and what we do for others during the holidays and throughout the year, than how we greet one another during the holidays.

We say 'Merry Christmas', but do we help someone in need, or pass them by?

We say 'Merry Christmas', but do we pray and talk with those who are spiritually hurting, or wonder why 'so and so never seems to be able to get their act together'?

We say 'Merry Christmas', but do we love those who wish us ill will, who offend us and hurt us, or do we look for ways to get even and punish people, putting them in their 'rightful place'?

We say 'Merry Christmas', but do we flip off and curse at the guy that just cut us off in traffic, or do we lovingly pray for them and forgive them, and consider that they might be having a very bad day?

We say 'Merry Christmas', but do we say hurtful and mean things to the waitress at the restaurant that got our order wrong, or do we extend patience and kindness in the same way we'd want to be treated if we were the waitress?

You see, Jesus does care about Christmas, but he cares because Christmas is a part of  everything that he cares about. He cares about December 25th the same as March 2nd or September 30th, or any day of the year.

I think the goodness and joy that people display to each other during the holiday season is a fine thing.  Any increase in goodness is good, ya know? I'll take whatever increase in goodness that comes.

But we need to be about more than that.

I am convinced that we -people of the Kingdom of God, the adopted Children of God and followers of Jesus Christ - owe it to our Lord and Savior to be about wishing the world a truly merry Christmas every day of the year.

We can't afford to save it up for the Christmas holidays.  We need to be about the work of the Kingdom every day - right now.

Why do we save up the giving of gifts until December 25th?  Are people not in need all year long?

Why do we feel led to bless people more in December? We look around in America and see the cold and hungry.... are not these same people hot and thirsty - and hungry - in the summer?

Do you realize Christmas in the southern hemisphere is in the middle of a blistering hot summer? Santa comes on water skis.

What I'm trying to say is what I heard preached last week from the pulpit - take a look at the world through the lens of scripture.  See with Kingdom Eyes, as I like to say.

Realize that the institutional traditions of this world have very little to do with serving Jesus and advancing his kingdom - and even some of the institutional traditions in our churches really have little to do with serving Jesus.  Most traditions are for the comfort and stability of a community, little more.

Gift giving is fun and brings great joy - and I'm not saying don't give gifts or celebrate Christmas in America.  It's a wonderful American tradition that brings many families together and does tend to focus our attention on more goodness in society, and I'm all for that. But celebrate it and understand it as a cultural tradition, not an attempt to honor Jesus' birth.

Christmas, as celebrated throughout most of America, has almost nothing to do with honoring Jesus, or being thankful for his birth. That should be done in our hearts and minds every day.

Remember, first century Christians did not celebrate anything even remotely like Christmas.  There was no celebration of Jesus' birth in the winter, but instead a daily celebration of his resurrection from the grave and victory over death!

Jesus said in Luke 9,

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me."

Not just at Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or Easter.

Daily.

The world can't afford for Christians not to do this daily.  We are the light of the world, and the world needs to see this light every day.

Jesus said in Luke 17,

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.  In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.  Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”

Business as usual.

Jesus told a parable in Luke 12 saying, 

"The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

I just can't do business as usual anymore. Time is short, both in my own life and in the admonitions of scripture. We need to be about telling a world that buys and sells, farms and builds, just like people did in Lot's day, that time is short! 

Paul says in Romans 13, 

“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.

"So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Time is short. The night is nearly over. It's time for Christians to awaken to the true reality of Jesus Christ in this world, and live in that truth!

Lord, teach us to realize that Jesus Christ permeates everything in our lives, in every way, whether we see it or not.  Teach us to see the truth of The Living Word in our world,  and to reorient our lives around Him.  Teach us to clothe ourselves with Jesus Christ, and let the very real truth of his death and resurrection inform and direct every action we take.

Some are awakening, and lives are being transformed.

Please, no more business as usual, Lord.  Wake us up! 

Out of the Mouths of Babes - Or College Students

I was talking to my daughter's boyfriend last night about his family's Christmas traditions, and had an interesting conversation.

Jeff is 21-years old, and he is Chinese-American.  He was born and raised here in the USA by parents who immigrated from Taiwan.  His parents, from what I gathered in our conversations, are still culturally very Chinese.  Prior to college, Jeff and his siblings attended Chinese school each Saturday in addition to regular public school in the San Francisco bay area, where he grew up.

I enjoy talking with Jeff, because he sees life here in the USA differently from me.  Even though he grew up here in the same country, many of the cultural touchstones and icons that are familiar to me and most of my demographic are unfamiliar to Jeff.  Movies and sports that I take for granted as a part of my cultural background have very little significance to Jeff.  They just haven't been part of his life growing up.

Last night my wife and I celebrated Elizabeth's 22nd birthday.  We met Jeff and Elizabeth for dinner at Black Angus and had an excellent meal together.  Afterwards, back at the house for a few minutes before the kids went to a movie, Jeff and I got to talking about Christmas traditions.

I asked him if he was going home for Christmas break, and he is.  I asked him if his family celebrated Christmas.  He thought for a moment, then said "no, not really."

Jeff went on to say that his family does recognize Christmas, its just not a big deal in his household.  Much the same as Thanksgiving, Labor Day, etc.  The dates are on the calendar, and they recognize the dates when they roll around, but not the way most American's do. There's no Christmas tree, and no avalanche of presents, but there is a sense of good will and joy they celebrate with the rest of society.

I asked what he knew about holiday traditions in China, and if Christmas was celebrated there.  Again, he said not the way we do here in the USA, but yes, it is a celebrated thing.  We talked for a while longer, about different cultures (what little we actually knew, but it was fun), and then Jeff said something I found very interesting.

He said his parents taught him while growing up, that it was more important to give thanks every day than it was to give thanks at the holidays.  He said that was why the holidays weren't so prominent growing up, because he was taught to give thanks for food, clothing, shelter, etc..... every day.  The Thanksgiving holiday was nice and all, but his parents impressed on him the importance of being thankful all the time for all that he has.

I thought that was a wonderful thing, and I told Jeff I completely agreed with his parents.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my holiday traditions, because they are a part of my American heritage. I like turkey and pie and eggnog and Christmas trees. They are part of my American-cultural experience.

But they are only that: American-cultural experiences.

Let's be honest.  The American celebration of Christmas really has very little to do with Christ.

Decorated trees in our homes have little to do with the celebration of Jesus' birth.

Overspending and stressing on what gifts we should give to people who already have way too much stuff is not a celebration of Jesus' love.

Eating ourselves sick at Christmas parties has nothing to do with following Jesus.

Santa Clause, reindeer, elves, talking snowmen, Grinches, or Who's in Whoville  do not innately point to the birth of Jesus, The True King, or to anything having to do with Jesus at all.

Christmas in America - as most Americans celebrate it or envision it- is a cultural feast of over-indulgence, over-spending, unnecessary extravagance, and attempts to buy the love of friends and relatives, giving them gifts at the holidays in hopes of obfuscating the fact that we've ignored them most of the rest of the year.

It's a season of mostly fake smiles, feigned joy, and false hope, wrapped up in too much food, too much spending, and too much stress.

All the while those who have little to nothing to spend or eat, watch the charade and parade pass by, not even getting to join in on the facade of American Christmas Joy.

(OK, I admit that was a somewhat harsh and sarcastic critique of the American Christmas experience, but truthfully, if you think I'm really that far off base, tell me.  I'm betting more of you would agree with than disagree.)

Mind you, there is nothing inherently wrong with Christmas trees, gifts, food, and celebrating with family.  Those are all good things.  They can be lots of fun.

We must realize and remember, though, that if we don't make a conscious effort to infuse Christ into these cultural proceedings, and if we don't celebrate in ways that honor God in all things, and if we forget that Jesus is not just 'The Reason for the Season', but that he is the reason for everything.....

.....then all of the trappings of Christmas are just that - trappings without meaning.  They become meaningless noise and shadows drowning out the love of Christ during a season in which that love should be sung with the clearest of notes, and shown with the brightest of lights.

1st Corinthians 13:3 says,

"If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing."

I agree with Jeff and his parents: we should be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas, in our hearts, every day of the year.

I say this especially to my brothers and sisters in Christ - this should be our heart's cry every day! Giving thanks to God for His blessings, each and every day, should be a top priority!

Ephesians 5:15-20 reads,

"So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.  Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,  singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Philippians 4:4-7 reads,

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Are we thankful and rejoicing in God's wonderful grace and mercy all year long? Or do we save our best for the Holidays, and then allow it to get lost in the cacophony of culture?

If so, why? Doesn't God give His best everyday?

God teaches me lessons everyday, in many ways, and not always just from The Bible.  Keep your eyes open and see what God is teaching you today.  You might be surprised where the next lesson comes from!