The reason for the season

The reason for the season

EDITOR:

I read with interest two letters from writers who felt that the billboard messages reminding people that Christmas is about Christ is somehow a blatant waste of money. From what I understand, they feel that the money could have been used to help the poor. As they go in detail about how Jesus helped the poor and healed the sick, it appears to me that they have just enough knowledge of the Bible to get it wrong.

As I recall, in John 12, Judas admonished Jesus for allowing Mary to anoint him with expensive perfume that she poured on his feet saying that the money could have been used for the poor. Jesus answered him by saying “Leave her alone ... You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

There is a growing movement to take Christ out of Christmas and to secularize this season. That is not going to happen. I applaud members of this group who have enough love of Christ in them to put up billboards announcing that this is the season of hope because God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son to save us. Whether you believe it or not does not make it less true.

I don’t understand why these critical writers feel that if you put money toward a cause you believe in than you must not be helping the poor. Does anyone follow people going into jewelry stores or mall stores and say to them that they should be helping the poor instead of buying things? It seems whenever someone takes a stand for Jesus, there are always jeering voices in the crowd trying to drown out those who speak the truth.

Christmas is revered by Christians everywhere as the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. You can wish someone a happy Thanksgiving, happy Hanukah or a happy New Year without reprisal. You should be able to say Merry Christmas without fear of offending anyone.

MARIANNE B. LORDI

Youngstown