Merry Christmas?

December 3, 2011 — 0 Comments

Several years ago, a noticeable change occurred in the retail world – clerks and cashiers began saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”. At first, no one really had a problem with it. Many Christians simply chalked it up as another example of America being a post-Christian nation, and people of other faiths (or no faith at all) didn’t care.

That is, until it was leaked that several big name retailers were actually instructing employees to not say “Merry Christmas”, because it was considered to be insensitive to those of other faiths. Rather, they were instructed to say the all-inclusive phrase, “Happy Holidays”. This, of course, gave many people all the ammo they needed to wage war against post-Christian America, and it has continued every November/December ever since.

This brings to mind two trains of thought: first, why am I supposed to be offended? We’re talking about someone I don’t know, whose religious preference I am unaware of, wishing me a happy holiday. I don’t know what religious preference they claim, if they even claim one at all. Why should I expect a Wiccan to wish me a Merry Christmas? Or a Muslim? Or an atheist? As redundant as it may be for them (since they’re saying it to person, after person, after person), and as generic as it may sound (since it is all-inclusive), they are still blessing me! They don’t have to say “Happy Holidays”; they could just say, “Get your shit and get out!”

Secondly, I’ve noticed a trend amongst more conservative Christians, and that is to use the phrase, “Merry Christmas” almost as a taunt of sorts. The scenario generally follows like this: as a cashier is finishing up with a customer, they thank the customer for shopping at their store and then wish them “Happy Holidays”. The customer responds with “Merry Christmas”, to which the cashier says “thank you”, or nods, or whatever. But instead of leaving well enough alone, the customer says “Merry Christmas” again, this time a bit indignantly, as if they are attempting to goad the cashier into saying “Merry Christmas”; it’s as if they think that if they can get the cashier to switch back to “Merry Christmas”, they’ve won one for Jesus! And yes, I have actually seen that happen, and on more than one occasion. Maybe I’m missing the point, but I don’t think that is a good follow-through on Matthew 22:39. And for those wondering, the original Greek translation of neighbor reads, “one associate of you”; in other words, not necessarily a literal neighbor or friend, but simply someone you associate with. If that weren’t enough, in Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus commands us to love our enemies; so even if you went all the way to the Westboro end of the spectrum and labeled everyone not like yourself an enemy, you’re still commanded to love them.

Is getting offended by a simple phrase love?

Am I showing love by making an ass of myself in protest of a simple phrase?

Or is it just me? Am I the only one who feels this way?

In Community, Culture

On Earth As It Is In Heaven

April 20, 2011 — 3 Comments

The past few weeks have been filled with distractions, most of which concerned looking for a new job, which is not a bad thing. I love working at F.Y.E., but the truth is, it doesn’t pay much, the hours are scarce and it’s a dying model. Thankfully, I received and accepted a full time job offer in Ruston.

But that’s not what this post is about.

I realized, that for the past few weeks, I’d put off reading a few books that I should have finished by now, two of which I’m going to review here on the blog. So today I once again picked up Love Wins, by Rob Bell, and while reading I came across a statement that rocked me to my core. Now, I’m only in chapter two, so I haven’t hit any of the really controversial stuff yet, but I felt like I needed to share this quote because it articulates a belief I’ve held for a few years now, but much more succinctly than I ever could.

Our eschatology shapes our ethics.

I grew up in a system of beliefs that centers on the hope of getting off this rock, which, as Bell points out, is contrary to the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

I’m not saying there won’t be a rapture.
I’m not saying we won’t leave this earth one day.
I’m still wrestling with my own thoughts and beliefs when it comes to the end of days.

What I am saying, or asking, is why are some of us so obsessed with getting away from this world? Why are we not praying the way Jesus did; “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Maybe because it’s easier to dream about a future where there is no crime, no poverty, no homelessness, no injustice, no greed, no sin, than it is to actually do something about it today.

Our eschatology shapes our ethics.

In Church, Community, Jesus, Religion

Comment Policy

February 6, 2011 — 2 Comments

Up until today, my comment policy was pretty simple – the golden rule. But, as John pointed out over at his blog, it does help to have a clearer, more concise policy. So I’ve updated my comment policy. Below you will find the full comment policy (which is mostly a direct copy of John’s), and the comment section of each post will have a shortened version.

  • You are 100% responsible for your comment. It represents not only your opinion but also your person. Take that into consideration before you post.
  • Names – I prefer you to use either your real name or Twitter name, but you may use a “brand name” or online persona if you wish.
  • NO ANONYMOUS COMMENTS – If you don’t have the courage to attach a traceable identity to your comment, it shows a lack of belief in your comment and yourself. In other words, don’t be a coward.
  • URL – Please use a legitimate and operating URL that you control specifically.
  • Email – Please use a working email address as I may want to contact you directly!
  • Pingbacks are considered comments and will be treated as such.
  • Please use good taste in the content of your comment as well as your word choice. I don’t have issue with “bad” language, unless used aggressively or in poor taste.
  • No personal attacks or rudeness of any kind will be accepted!
  • I will protect your privacy and will not share your email address without your direct consent.
  • I cannot guarantee that I will respond to your comment! It is what it is!
  • I hate spam. There, I said it. I hate spam. Don’t do it! I use Akismet to help me with this.
  • If your comment falls into moderation I will do the best I can to get it out of moderation as quickly as possible. Depending upon my schedule that day, it could be minutes or hours.
  • You grant me license to use your comment in blog posts, written material, and any other form of publishing.

Thanks!

In Community , ,

Ping

September 2, 2010 — 0 Comments

You might have noticed a new icon in the header of my blog. But if you haven’t, it’s a smaller version of the icon to your left (assuming you’re viewing this in a browser and not an RSS reader, mobile browser or Facebook). It’s the new iTunes 10 icon, and for those who were under a rock yesterday, one of the new features in iTunes 10 is Apple’s social network Ping. Here’s what Apple has to say about Ping:

Discover new music by going social with Ping. Learn even more about your favorite artists and friends starting with their bios. See what they’ve been up to — even listen to 30-second previews of music they like. Find out when and where artists and bands are on tour, and check out photos and videos they’ve posted. With Ping, a community of the world’s most passionate music fans is just a click away.

Sounds pretty cool. If you’ve got iTunes installed on your computer (Mac or Windows) or if you’re on an iOS device, simply click the iTunes 10 icon at the top of my page and iTunes should open and take you to my Ping profile. Of course, iTunes 10 is required and as always, is a free download (updates automatically on iOS devices).

In Community , , , , ,

Community Outreach

July 14, 2010 — 0 Comments

Mad4Christ (a community outreach group founded by my friend John Williams) is organizing a Back2School outreach, in the Lincoln Elementary school zone, to help families in need. They’re accepting school supplies and financial donations. John needs all supplies and donations no later than August 4. Anyways, to find out more and contribute, click here.

In Community , , , , , , , ,