Suspended Yet Living & Breathing

Let me borrow a stanza from Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Wanna Wait” simply because it sums up exactly how I’m feeling right now (not the totality of the song but only this particular part).

“I don’t want to wait
For our lives to be over
I want to know right now
What will it be
I don’t want to wait
For our lives to be over
Will it be yes or will it be”

Yes, it sounds a bit impatient but my family is in the middle of moving to another state or not moving. I am a bit frustrated that I can’t start to decorate for Christmas because I don’t know for certain what’s going to happen… It is such a bad place to be in… Can I whine? I too have my moments…

And yes, my family celebrates Christmas. I see some Christians put their views about Christmas being pagan but if I can’t celebrate a season in a spirit of generosity and giving thanks that Christ came down into the world (My kids don’t believe in Santa and no we do not worship a tree) I just want to say that if people celebrate Christmas without Santa (which I think by the way is anti-Christ, meaning instead of Christ; it also doesn’t help that Santa happens to be an anagram of Satan), no one can tell people they can’t give presents to their loved ones at this time of the year because it is based on the “traditions of men.” If we were to go by this rationale, it would mean we can’t celebrate Thanksgiving, Veteran’s Day, our own birthdays, Fourth of July and all the other holidays because they all fall under the traditions of men. What a miserable life that would be which reminds me of the Jehovah’s Witness’ way of life. Do I write this in a spirit of condescension? No. They are a false religion. It is a fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses DO NOT believe that Jesus IS God but rather “a god.”

A friend of mine who happens to be an atheist grew up in that false religion and he grew bitter because he couldn’t celebrate his birthday or Christmas. He became bitter because he never got to celebrate anything which led him to reject God altogether thinking the Watchtower’s statutes came straight from God. Can you imagine not being able to take a picture of yourself on your birthday or celebrate any other holiday? This is the byproduct of the yoke of manmade prohibition, a road that leads to nothing but pure disillusionment.

Let me pose this question, Does celebrating Christmas cancel out the message of Christ’s redemptive work? If your personal answer is yes, then maybe you should not celebrate it. But as long as you’re not promoting Santa Claus instead of Christ, celebrating Christmas would then be an expression of commemorating God’s greatest gift to humanity. If you are one of those Christians who don’t celebrate Christmas and you are convicted of it, that’s fine but to condemn other Christians who don’t go by Santa and the whole pagan association is like pushing people to go back to the law.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

Galatians 5:1

This verse contextually pertains to every believer’s freedom in Christ (freedom to do good and not evil and giving is definitely a good thing.) When we prohibit Christians to celebrate Christmas granted they don’t associate it with pagan substitutions, this very prohibition becomes a type of manmade law that restricts someone from celebrating the freedom they have in Christ, like “You must not eat unless your hands are washed” of the Pharisees. I am free to celebrate Christmas because the Christmas I celebrate has nothing to do with Santa Claus and reindeers, but has everything to do in commemoration of the dawning of humanity’s redemption which is found in none other than Jesus Christ.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:17

There is absolutely nothing wrong in celebrating something good (and I mean the good that does not go against God’s moral statutes) specially if your heart is intent in giving glory and thanks to God and also, why hamper someone’s freewill to give gifts to their loved ones? While it is evident we live in a society that capitalizes on this holiday to encourage crass materialism, we can’t be presumptuous when it comes to every person’s intent. Not everyone is materialistic and to make generalizations would be erroneous on our part.

Lastly, there is nothing I dislike more than Christmas songs about Santa. But if you are a professing Christian against celebrating Christmas, will you honestly rebuke people for playing “Joy To The World?” or “Silent Night?”

[Image Credit: Air Bonsai: erean dot eu]