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Christmas and Politics

The Politically Correct Police are out and about this season.  It's one of their favorites of the year.  They receive their power from the tyrannical party of "they."  You know, it's "they say" and "they won't like it" and "they know what's best."  "They" say you'd better not call it Christmas or someone will be offended.  "They" say it's best to call them Holiday Trees instead of Christmas trees.

Nativity_lg

Perhaps it might be helpful to realize that this politicization of Christmas is nothing new.  After all, the moment word went out that the Son of God had been born, puppet king Herod the Great put out the word that all male infants were to be killed to eliminate such a threat.  It's hard to imagine anything being more political than infanticide in the name of protection of one's power base!  Then, as Jesus went about his ministry, many misunderstood his objective  and thought he was going to provide political salvation.  The oppression of Rome over client kingdoms such as Israel and Judah had rankled the oppressed for centuries.  Wouldn't it be marvelous if someone able to do miracles right before our eyes would strive to set us free of the Romans?  (But that mark was insultingly below the target for the Creator of the Universe).  Finally, the execution of Jesus was done as a political move to protect Pilate's reputation back home in Rome, and to appease his client subjects the Jews, who in turn felt threatened by Jesus's power over the people who had usually been trapped under their yoke of "religiosity."

So from beginning to end, Jesus's journey on earth was marked by politics.  It should be no surprise to us that it continues to this day.  Only we need not give it life.  Instead, we should simply continue to proclaim his glorious gospel to a broken world, and live our lives in a way that shouts glory to His name.  Let the pundits blab, let the politicians play for power.  It's all laughable from an eternal perspective anyway.  We have higher things with which to occupy our minds.

  
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2 responses to “Christmas and Politics”

  1. Phyllis Hoff Avatar
    Phyllis Hoff

    Oh Chris,
    You are so right. We all do have
    higher things to think about and strive for on a daily basis.
    Jesus knew what his mission and fate on earth would be. He accepted that for all of us, and we should live our Christian lives to please him.
    It is difficult to turn the other cheek when those politics and other outside forces rear their ugly heads, but we can and will prevail.
    Thank you for writing about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ.
    Phyllis

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  2. Cathy Avatar
    Cathy

    Chris,
    I totally agree with you. And Phyllis, you have voiced everything I was going to say in agreement.
    I would add one more thing. In a society that still proclaims itself as free, we as believers retain certain rights. One of them is to worship in peace, without fear.
    Some of the Body in parts of the U.S. do not enjoy this freedom of worship lately. I have read well documented reports of churches being invaded and/or harrassed and picketed before, during and after their Sunday services. This is a direct result of the Proposition 8 vote in California.
    The good news is what was meant for a subtle evil against us can be used for good for us. What do I mean by this? Hate laws work both ways. They are not specific about who can and cannot be targets or perpetrators. The knife of justice cuts equally. If they break the law, they will be prosecuted, period. To the law, it doesn’t matter who a person (or group) is and who that person (or group) hates.
    So, God is on the throne and in control. We can live as free believers and bring His Gospel unhindered to the world. And, at least for now, we can do it still under the full protection and power of the laws of the same government that denies and/or minimizes Him.
    Christmas actually gives us a unique time to spread the Gospel. The secular world stops to recognize it in a way they recognize no other celebration of the Church year. Oh, sure, they do it with stuff that’s been added in over the years, and yet the essential story of the Christ Child in the manger remains, and almost everyone knows it. It falls to us, who live out the Gospel in our daily lives, to share the eternal purpose behind the Christmas story, and teach them the true meaning and importance then of Easter. Without Easter, Christmas is another cute secularized story. See it in Easter’s light and glory, and the true meaning of Christmas is clear to all.

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