Wed 22 Dec 2010
A very merry (secular) Christmas
Posted by Mathew Block under Main
[2] Comments
‘Twas the night before – X-mas? Winter Festival? December Holidays? Festivus? As Canadian society moves in an increasingly secular direction, public disagreement over what to call the season becomes more common. But even when we retain the historic title Christmas, the average person’s thoughts run along the lines of Santa Claus, family dinners, taking time off work, and gift-giving (or getting). The birth of Jesus, if remembered at all, is at best an afterthought. While perhaps the third most important day in the Christian calendar (after Good Friday and Easter), it appears Christmas has lost much of its religious significance for the world around us.
So begin my thoughts in a recent article for The Canadian Lutheran. Entitled “The battle for Christmas,” the article highlights the tensions between Christian and secular understandings of the holiday/holy-day, presenting a historical framework in which to view a very contemporary concern. Check it out in pdf form here or in standard web-format here. (The pdf has an additional subarticle entitled “Keeping Christ in Xmas”, which discusses the origin of the “Xmas” abbreviation which – despite common perception – is actually Christian in nature).
Your article along with a discussion in our adult Bible class class few weeks back plus a comment in our local news paper a few years ago about the possible time of Jesus’ birth sparked some interesting thoughts in my mind. The contributor to the newspaper speculated that December would have been too cold for shepherds to be out in the fields with their flocks by night. September would have been more likely he said. I was reminded of that during the discussion in our recent Bible study and wondered if we shouldn’t be celebrating Jesus’ conception on December 25th rather than his birth. Then after reading your article I wondered if a good scientific and theological discussion of Christ’s conception might not interest people today more readily than a discussion of His birth.
During his recent “Insight for Living” broadcast series Charles Swindoll also had some very interesting thoughts to share about Mary’s and Joseph’s lives between the time of the annunciation and the time of Jesus” birth.
Thanks for your contributions to the Canadian Lutheran so far. I look forward to more of the same.
In Christ,
Herb Schwartz.
I’m glad you found the article thought-provoking Herb. And you raise an interesting question about whether the inception of Christ is perhaps the more important theological concern. It as, after all, the moment of incarnation – God become flesh.
Thanks for the complements on my recent articles for the Canadian Lutheran. It’s been fun been writing for the magazine, and I’m certainly happy to write some more whenever they ask.
In Christ,
Mathew Block