I must admit, I find posts about saying “Merry Christmas” annoying. Don’t get me wrong. I will say Merry Christmas to every person who comes for worship Christmas eve and Christmas day. I will say Merry Christmas to my family. I am happy to say Merry Christmas to those I know celebrate Christmas. My issue with people who post about saying “Merry Christmas” is their insistence that this is the only thing people should say which ignores the reality that a) not everyone celebrates Christmas, and b) there are other celebrations happening this time of year.
Jesus says: ‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap.’
Of course, Jesus is saying this to his disciples in the context of a chapter in the Gospel of Luke that is quite apocalyptic. Jesus is telling them to get ready for the tough times ahead. He is cautioning them to focus on what is truly important so that they are ready for the challenges and the blessings to come.
Jesus knows how easily human beings get weighed down with human things. He knows humans are easily distracted by our own priorities and perspectives. The cautions he offers to the disciples in this chapter of Luke still fit for our world today: like being too attached to our places of worship, getting lured by those who would lead you astray, being overwhelmed by the state of the world, and navigating persecution.
Of course, contrary to what some believe, the use of Happy Holidays is not a sign of persecution. Nor is the removal of Christian prayer from schools. Persecution doesn’t happen to those who hold power. To believe otherwise could be akin to being weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life. It could be a trap.
Instead, we need to acknowledge that Christians continue to hold power as evidenced by the fact that Christmas continues to be a statutory holiday on this continent. Christmas is everywhere! There has been Christmas themed displays, movies, and music for weeks now. And while there are certainly secular aspects of Christmas that dominate, at its root, it remains a Christian celebration with angels, carols, Jesus, and church included throughout.
Christianity continues to hold power and privilege in the Western world. This has implications for our relationships with the wider communities. For a long time, our priorities and perspectives have been given pride of place. At times this has led to us being the persecutors of others – seeking to silence them and undermine their priorities and perspectives. This is what happens when we insist on saying Merry Christmas and ignore the fact that some are celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanza, Bohdi Day (Buddhism), Pancha Ganapati (Hindu), or other holy days during this time.
Thus, we need to hear Jesus’ caution: ‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap.’
We need to be on guard so that we are not distracted by human things. We need to continually recognise that this time is not all about Christmas, that there are other voices, other celebrations happening that have wisdom and gifts to share. We need to pray that we can escape the pride that distorts our privilege into rights that undermine an openness to appreciate the gifts of others. We need to pray for humility and understanding, for wisdom and possibility, for grace and joy.
God created the world in all its diversity. That diversity is truly a gift for us to continually unwrap. May we let go of the dissipation and drunkenness and worries of this life and open our hearts to the possibilities that come from the gifts of others. May we celebrate Christmas with each other and be humble enough to respect the celebrations and traditions of others in our greetings. May God’s grace inspire us to learn, grow, and be transformed this season and beyond by love beyond our knowing. This we pray as we sing: (SNC) 39 Stay Awake