Joy of Christmas

The intersection of sectarian and secular is crowded with dented fenders and smashed bumpers. At no time is that more evident in the United States than the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In a nation that values free speech, individual freedom and the ability to worship the deity of one’s own belief — or not — the co-opting of a religious observance into the commercial world makes for trouble.

Advertising on city buses, a sign on city property, an artificial tree in a bank and the greetings that store employees offer patrons have all become fodder for some Christians’ perceived slights to their faith.

Why are so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ consumed by the trivial?

‘Merry Christmas’

Proclaiming one’s faith through an uttered “Merry Christmas” — or becoming angry at the restaurant manager who doesn’t — isn’t the way to display our humble faithfulness to the mission our Father gave us — to love our neighbors.

Living out that faith — putting our muscle and minds and money into tackling hunger and poverty and homelessness — is what keeps Christ in Christmas.

Charles C. Haynes, senior scholar and director of education programs at the First Amendment Center, wrote a thought-provoking column a few years ago: “To save Christmas, separate Christ from commerce.”

“If the aim is to keep ‘Christ’ in the shopping-mall Christmas or to ensure that pagan trees and mistletoe don’t lose their Christian labels, then it might make sense to attack presidents and business owners who commit the ‘happy holiday’ sin,” Haynes wrote. “But if the goal is to restore the religious meaning of the Christian holy day, then they are aiming at the wrong Target.

“Once the birth of Jesus was made a ‘national holiday,’ taking ‘Christ out of Christmas’ was destined to happen.”

Therein lies the answer for all who bemoan the corruption of Christianity or get annoyed at the bank official who removes a gaudy tree or feel compelled to post anonymous complaints on a Web site about the company that dares to allow its employees to say “Happy Holidays”: The United States should no longer “celebrate” Christmas as a national holiday. Let the retailers have the days — just don’t call them “Christmas.”

The celebration of winter solstice (whether it be Christmas, Hanukah or Kwanzaa) is a cultural observance, no matter the name we put on it. It belongs to the rich, diverse community in which we live.

If you want to put Christ back into Christmas, then instead of battling the mall crowd to spend outrageous amounts of money on presents soon forgotten, use that time and money to feed the hungry, clothe the poor and visit the infirm.

Jesus’ commandment was not for “them” to love us, but for us to love them.

Jill “J.R.” Labbe is the editorial director of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.