Don’t Let the Message Fade

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

This year, I really wanted to send Christmas cards, and I was on a mission to get them out early, but for the first time, I found myself looking for cards that said Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays. I’m not sure why this year was different, but it was, so I listened to my heart.

What happened to openly letting God into our lives?
Over forty years ago, when my kids were still young, controversies began over Christmas trees and Nativity scenes in public places. Some were worried about the separation of church and state. Others were concerned about Christmas being on display with no other religions represented. Why were there no Menorahs for the Jewish faith, or Kinaras for Kwanzaa? Soon after, no Christmas parties were allowed in school— only non-denominational holiday parties were allowed. And then, the moment of prayer in class, just before the day began, was banned. And reciting the Pledge of Allegiance stopped, partly because it includes the phrase, “One nation under God,” which promotes religion in schools.

Shouldn’t we be enriched by our differences?
Why? Wouldn’t it have been better to have a celebration for every faith at the appropriate time of year, rather than ban them all? A beautiful series of lessons that enriched cultural awareness about every faith could have been born. This country has always been a melting pot of nationalities, faiths, races, and cultures. Why have we become a nation that excludes everything to avoid offending people, rather than a country enriched by including everyone?

Banning religion in school felt odd because, as a child, my history lessons taught that the need for religious freedom played a big role in the creation of America. Our Pledge of Allegiance references God. All of our currency says, “In God We Trust.”  And two of our most patriotic songs, America the Beautiful and My Country ‘Tis of Thee, mention God.

Everyone’s faith is important
According to polls like Gallup, Pew Research, and American Worldview Inventory, the top five faiths in America are Christianity at approximately 65 percent of the population. Judaism is at 2.5 percent, Islam at 1.5 percent and growing, and Buddhism and Hinduism at around 1 percent each. Everyone’s faith should be honored, and no single faith should be deemed more important than another. The polls also revealed that people who have no faith in particular or are agnostic or atheist, make up 29 percent of the population. And less than half of the population considers religion an important part of daily life— a 17 percent drop over the last decade.

Has religion been slowly dying?
The commercial part of Christmas is flourishing, but the religious meaning—the birth of Christ—has, in my opinion, been slowly dying. Many young people don’t know that Christmas has a religious meaning. Some don’t even know who Christ is because we’ve stopped talking about it, and retailers have managed to turn Christmas into a holiday all about Santa Claus, reindeer, and gift-giving.

We play a role in allowing faith to fade
For decades, Happy Holidays was the message I sent so I didn’t offend anyone, but by doing that, I played a role in letting the true message of Christmas fade. We all have. A Christmas card is not sent to offend, diminish another person’s faith, or attempt to convert them to yours. It’s a simple greeting. For those who celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays cards don’t suffice because they put Christmas on the same playing field as New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. But that’s the direction we’re going in, and it feels, at times, that there is a movement to eliminate faith, which cannot be bought and builds strength from within. Faith is something people used to be proud of, but nowadays, people have become extraordinarily private about their faith, and some feel forced to hide it for their safety.

Do you have faith?
Faith has no monetary value, yet it’s priceless. And humbling. With all that cannot be scientifically explained about the intricate complexities of the world, how can people not feel the presence of something unimaginably greater that holds their feet to the fire and keeps them accountable? How about you? Do you have faith? If so, does it comfort you? Why?

Until next time,
Jean
AKA The Strategic Chicken
- Making life’s journey one strategic step at a time.