My brother tends to write far more about the Christmas holiday, and Christmas, than I. I suspect it is because he is a Priest. But anyway, he has had many great posts, and reposts of comics, and such this holiday.
One post in particular caught my eye. It contains all that I like. It contains religion. Music. Argument. And an opportunity for me to comment. *smile*
In particular he was continuing a discussion about what I would call Garrison Keillor’s defense of Christian Christmas. So I commented. Below is my comment, in full:
Chris,
As you know I often say (and write) that all too often Christians want to be Christians, but prefer to be known simply as ‘-ians”
They like all the trappings of the Church. The fellowship. The candles. The music (and in your church’s case–the robes and perhaps incense.)
But they don’t like all that comes with it.
- A call to holiness
- A recognition of sin that separates Man from God
- or worse, a denial of Sin as defined by God, and replaced by Sin as defined by Man
- And, even worse, a rewriting of the Bible to keep all they like, but dispense with the pesky God
So that brings us to the Christmas holiday. I have not been one to join in the rants that condemn those who replace Christ with an X. (Partly because I know the larger history, and partly because, well–it doesn’t seem very Christian.) I also don’t get all riled up about a Nativity Scene being banned from the public square.
I do get concerned when, instead, Churches (perhaps I should use the lower case “c”) instead work to ban them from our hearts.
The Nativity isn’t the miracle of a poor homeless child (ht to your previous entry) being visited by rich folk, or poor folk, or animals. It isn’t about any of us visiting him doing anything for him.
It’s about God. Visiting us. Despite our Sin as GOD defines it, th.
And alas, just as it was 2000 years ago, humanity chooses to ignore his real message, and turn him into our own definition of Messiah.
*sigh*