(...this is longer than I normally post. sorry. i'm just kinda fired up...)
Look, I wish God was mentioned in more sectors of our society. I really do. That may surprise some of you about me, but it's true. I think that a Christian worldview in more areas of our nation probably wouldn't be a bad idea.
But, to be honest, I think that sometimes Christians in this country completely miss the point. They have replaced the announcement of and participation in the kingdom of God with another "gospel."
Like our good friends, Drs. Dobson and Falwell, who apparently think that the most pressing spiritual battle in our nation today lies in whether a person cheerfully says, "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" to folks on the street.
Here's Bro. Falwell speaking at a rally on the steps of the Alabama Capitol building about the Grinch that is Liberal America.
Here's a preview of a past program from Dobson's Web site, Family.org:
In "Keeping it a "Merry Christmas," Alliance Defense Fund President Alan Sears discusses how the insidious effort to remove Christ from Christmas is part of the grander scheme to remove God from the public square. A recent poll shows that 96% of Americans celebrate Christmas, yet political correctness increasingly dictates that the phrase "Merry Christmas" be replaced by the generic "Happy Holidays." Our guest also reveals how the ultra-liberal ACLU is behind this campaign and urges listeners to oppose their anti-Christian agenda.
(Dobson also implied that his listeners should boycott Dell Computers this holi-- I mean Christmas -- season because they don't overtly mention "Christmas" in their advertising, internal company speech, etc. I wonder if Dobson knows Michael Dell is Jewish...)
Goodness me. In the third-largest un-churched population in the world (North America), is this really the best "we've" got? Is this the face of Christianity? Are these voices helping or harming the cause of Christ in this country? Is anyone outside the church really listening? (Are many inside the church listening?)
To me, the "front line" in the spiritual battle in this nation is happening through folks like Jared Looney, Malissa Endsley, and others who are seeing God work through them to change lives on the streets of New York City (check out Bronx Fellowship here). Central Dallas Ministries is right in the mix. So is P.U.M.P. Church in Portland, Ore. The Willises in Austin have created Oak Grove Abbey as an outpost of Christ's reign. And the list goes on.
I wish these servants were the face of Christianity, not men in suits arguing over Christmas trees.
Lord, let us not blaspheme your name by attaching it to our project. Let us instead recognize where you are working in the world and join you there. Lord of the Harvest, raise up harvesters for your harvest field. Amen.
15 comments:
To keep the holidays Christian, stores should start selling Christmas lawn decorations that show Mary giving birth to Jesus. Just think, a woman spread eagled with Jesus popping out. Believe me, its a money maker.
come on man, you reeeeeeeeeally think there is a more important issue than the birth of God in human skin on December 25, 0000?
oh wait, thats not whats really at issue here is it... its about our RIGHTS AS BY-GEORGE 'MERICANS! i mean how dare they tell US, the founders of peace and unity and enemy love and... peace... that we can't name this God-given-opportunity-to-make-and-spend-massive-sums-of-money-in-a-shameless-display-of-materialistic-selfishness after the author and perfector of our selfless faith.
i mean thats what its all about, ain't it?
BY GEORGE, THIS IS 'MERICA! IN GOD WE TRUST! UP WITH WALMART! (another fine Christian institution) SCREW TARGET!
In Jesus name, amen.
We have a message of hope, not hate, to share with the world. People can choose not to say Christmas in their stores if they want to. It's their store. They can even try to stop me from saying Christ. They'll fail, but they can try.
If I ran a store at which Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, miscellaneous flavors of religious folks and absolute non-believers shopped, you can be sure that this Jesus-follower's signs would say "Happy Holidays."
Great post, Steve. Surely we have bigger fish to fry than how Target chooses to greet us in December.
Coming south for Christmas, uh, the holidays? Atlantans would love to meet your wife and take all the Holts to Lupita's! (Or Waffle House...)
Great points, folks.
Matt, I really wish we could come down there over the Holidays. As of now, this doesn't seem possible, but who knows. Chrissy's never been to the ATL, and believe me -- this is a trip I want to make with her before we head out.
Lupita's sounds good, too.
I'd like to change my vote, not to La Cazuela (as good as it is), but to Frontera Mex-Mex Grill, home of "El Gigante" — a 4-pound, 16-inch mammoth burrito, which I conquered. I have the T-shirt to prove it. I'll never beat Scott Douglas' record of two (2, dos, deux) El Gigante burritos in one (1, uno) sitting. He was a hoss, though. I digress...
He was a hoss, all right. He once fell asleep in my class and farted himself awake. It ranks as the single funniest moment in any class I ever taught. EVER!
I'd sure hate to have him in class just after he'd eaten two (2, dos, deux) El Gigante burritos...
What were we talking about, anyway? :-)
I agree. (with your post)
The whole thing is just silly.
And Wal-Mart did the exact same thing Target did, but no one mentions that. Why is that?
Happy Christmas :)
I was in the class when Scottie "farted himself awake." That was one of the classic moments of my life, I have to say.
Oh, and I think Christians need to drop the Christmas/Holiday argument, or whatever...
Is it because Wal-Mart hangs those framed "We prosecute shoplifters" signs in every stall?
Just a thought...
Falwell...can anyone tell my why anyone still interviews this guy?
Target...I still haven't figured out why "Christians" have it in for this store. It's an odd fascination mostly fueled by rumors a quick visit to Snopes squashes dead.
Greetings in public...I'm thinking now days it's a good thing to get any from strangers, so I'll take whatever I get.
Dell...That's just bad. Dobson should do better homework and go back to helping families strengthen marriages and raise good kids.
It's funny, because in Oregon they want to squish Wal*Mart and don't say much about Target.
I won't stop saying Christ (even if I had a store that catered to everyone) but I'm not going to force everyone else to.
I prefer La Cazuela for appetizers and Dunkin Donuts for dessert/coffee. I also request that Annie's high chair is next to me!
Lynn Holt
What a powerful message Christians have to share with those all around us, whether next door, in the next state, or across the oceans. I agree that those serving daily in the kingdom of God should be the face of Christianity. Those who spend tireless hours trying to decide what phrase is appropriate for this season are missing the point...Christ was a gift from our God. Instead of "stirring it up", we should be "pouring it out"!
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