I, Patrick Conaty, was a Christmas Grinch!!!
What does it take to transform a Christmas Loving, Tree Decorating Dhiz, Gift-Giving Maniac.....(as I�?was always described, and rightly so) into a Baron von Grinch at Christmastime? You’d think that it would take a goodly measure of tragedy and trauma, wouldn’t you? Perhaps as a small child, all my Christmas gifts were stolen by a Marauding Band of Nogoodniks! Or maybe my family was swept away by a freak flash flood four days before Christmas. Well, I’m glad to say that nothing like that ever happened to me. Problem is this: It really doesn’t leave me with much of an excuse.
The fact is, I’ve always loved Christmas �?at least, I’ve always loved Christmas except for a period of about three or four years. During that time, my perception of Christmas made Scrooge look like one of the Heavenly Host proclaiming “Peace and good will towards men�? Do you know what turned my “Joy to the World�? into a “Blue, Blue Christmas�? It was religion! Yep, the dreaded “R�?word.
Now, when I say religion, what I mean is a legalistic expression of my Christian faith. For some reason, the joy that I initially felt for the wonder and the miracle of Christmas that first year I was a Christian quickly turned into a self-righteous rant.
Have you ever run into someone like I was during my “blue period�? Perhaps you have. Let me refresh your memory with a few of the Christian Grinch catch phrases - “Christmas is a pagan holiday�? “Christmas trees are pagan symbols�? “Santa is Satan�? “Christmas is too commercial, too secular, too screwed up to have any real meaning and purpose and we’d all be better off without it!�? “The early Church never celebrated Christmas!�?On and on the cliches go. Do you know what made things even worse? There was truth in every one of these statements. Christmas has pagan origins, as do many, if not most of the traditions that surround the Christmas Celebration. Who could argue that Christmas is too commercial, or that Santa has taken much of the focus of Christmas away from Jesus? But, as in other areas of life, a little truth is dangerous - especially in the hands of a Christian!
Actually, what made me a Christian Grinch wasn’t my convictions as such, it was the way I proclaimed them. It was the attitude with which I held them out to Christians and non-Christians alike. I fancied myself as one of the chosen few whose job it was to clear the world of error and compromise. I had become one of God’s Seasonal Purity Police with all of the trimmings. Trimmings, you ask? Yeah, prune face, sour scowls, pointy finger, nose directed towards Heaven. Yes, I had a full complement of seasonal regalia, and I wore them all with PRIDE!
And what was the end result of my self-proclaimed policing action? Did I rid the malls of Santa impostors? Did I cleanse the Church of all this Holiday Heresy? Did I make Christmas a kinder, safer, more reverent place? Did I do anything of value at all? NO, NO, NO! I just made myself a misery to be around. As I walked down the street people hid their children and turned off their Christmas lights to pretend they weren’t home. Ok, now I’m exaggerating a bit, but you get the point: who wants to be around someone like that?! Furthermore, do you know what the real kicker is?--My consuming self-righteousness robbed me of any opportunity to witness about the birth of Jesus....and I was too puffed up to humble myself! Now really, what kind of a testimony is that?
Finally, I understood a few things that helped me regain the Joy of this very special season. What are these things, you ask?
First, right or wrong, this is the best opportunity during the entire year to share your faith. You can talk about Jesus being the reason for the season. You can be an example of love, hope and charity, and reach out in ways that just aren’t possible any other time of the year. It is a sin and a shame for Christians to walk around during the Christmas Season, or at any other time of year, for that matter, with long faces and pointing fingers. Instead, we should be proclaiming the TRUTH of Jesus and HIS Gospel with joy and enthusiasm!
While it’s true that many of the Christmas observances have been taken over from pagan sources, that’s not the same as saying they are still pagan. Think about it this way �?a tradition holds its original value only when it communicates the truth it was originally intended to convey. So, in order for these traditions to still be considered pagan, our participation in them would have to clearly communicate to us and those around us, that original pagan meaning. Can that be said of any of the Christmas traditions? No. All of the pagan significance has either been forgotten or transformed into Christian symbols. Regardless, participation or non-participation in Christmas is not an issue unto salvation. We therefore need to be gracious.
Finally, family traditions can be an incredibly powerful way to impart spiritual truth to our children. The sights, the sounds, the traditions that revolve around Christmastime can be a indelible stamp that impresses teaching, love, security, life-long memories, and life-long faith to our children. Shouldn't we take advantage of such a powerful instrument for God’s glory?
The bottom line for me is this: the Christmas magic has returned, my Child-like giddeness and christian demeanor has resurfaced and so has my ability to worship and praise God, on December 25th, for His most wonderful gift of all. Finally, self-righteousness and pride are never acceptable to the Lord. In fact, these very attitudes and activities were what shut the religious community out of the first Christmas. It would be a shame for us to make those very same mistakes today! May you have a wonderful, joyous, Christ-centered Christmas!
In the mean time Have a Radical for God Christmas!!!
In the mean time, Be Radical for God!!!
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