Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I
proclaim to you. Acts 17:23
Everywhere I turn, it’s
beginning to look more like Christmas. Carols are humming over the airwaves,
stores are decked in red and green, and Santa and his elves can be seen peering
around every corner. As a Christ follower, this is the season I celebrate His
birth. It’s the time when the God of creation stepped into the world and
divided time…B.C from A.D. It doesn’t matter that scholars are renaming the
divide, it can’t be argued who initiated it.
It’s also a time of
unprecedented political correctness. It’s no longer Merry Christmas. Instead a
chorus of Happy Holidays fills the air. Schools aren’t out for Christmas, but
close for winter break. It’s not inclusive enough to have a Christmas party—only
generalized holiday themed celebrations are lauded for their open-mindedness.
Christmas, it’s argued, is only for Christians. It’s too exclusive, and leaves
people on the outside of the fun.
Everyone seems to have
forgotten God came to save the world—the entire world. I don’t think it can get
more inclusive than that.
So this year I’ll be unashamed
as I remind everyone I meet that they are included in Christmas. The message
isn’t one of exclusivity, but one of love. It’s the season of God’s
outstretched arms, encircling a cold world in His loving embrace, through the birth of a baby.
