when I was a child, the adults always said "Seasons Greetings" if we said anything at all, because celebrating Christmas (that repackaged Saturnalia holiday "you know," in my worst Palin/Fey imitation) was something the denominations did, and we had to be obstreperous since that how we read our Bibles.
And in a backhanded sort of way, they had a point. Those who express a faith, a confidence in what Christmas stands for should be living/speaking that way every other day of the year. For the predatory capitalists among us, that's now Christmas overtly three months (25% of the year); nine more months to go, let alone that we already get capitalist evangelism via advertising constantly (so the other nine are covered as well as a practical matter; yay).
My "problem" with Christmas is that it has the practical if not intentional effect by - some, many? - Christians of marginalizing the theme of "peace on earth."
(It's in that sense that I wouldn't mind a local radio station playing Christmas music all the time, except that it would have to play Robert Earl Keen's "Merry Christmas from the Family" at least once, but not more than twice, an hour so I can sing along. That and the "Twelve Pains of Christmas" by Bob Rivers, several times per hour. No Amy Grant, however, ever.)
(But I digress.)
I find nothing helpful from the occasional Christian-bashing here (because the objection is not to the message but to the spin from the messenger) - and I'm also object of bashing every other faith and non-faith spiritual tradition as well, since there is no real spiritual tradition that does not have as an essential tenet the devotion to the well-being of others (Randism is simply a grotesque cancerous growth of thought in that regard) - but too many set themselves up for the abuse by missing Jesus' core commandment of putting the best interests of everyone else first and foremost as the essential expression of putting "God" first and foremost. Not by denying medical services to women who need them, not by lying about the unemployed calling them "lazy," not by relying on racist tropes and dissembling to stir up hatred.
In the sense that our society struggles to help the vulnerable among us - whether by advocating for reliable and real access to healthcare, food, shelter, meaningful work, strengthening families, safety from the predations of others, protection of the vulnerable of all ages, and so many more - those who pursue those things are about - from a Christian perspective - "God's" real business of restoring Her/His creation, not just human beings, the entire thing. And it's by those fruits you can know them, those who work for peace whether atheist, agnostic, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Native religions, and even Christianity (in spite of the damage done to that religion by so many adherents). And every other spiritual tradition/practice that I may have left out: please consider them included as well.
In that sense, we already live in that "Christian" society, not to give offense (and I beg your forgiveness for giving offense); if another adjective will do, use it. If anything, those who struggle to extent unemployment benefits, those who fight against cuts to food stamps, those who work for true access to health care, those are the ones who are bringing about that good society. So what does that make what the fundamentalists want, eh? See James 2:14-26 and I John 3:11-17, especially v. 17, any version:
How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
Doesn't get much clearer than this.
One of my favorite passages in the Old Testament is (not Leviticus) out of I Kings 22. And the gist of the text is that the paid-for court prophet ("prophet" not in the sense of prognosticator as much as expositor of wisdom-as-actions-can/will-lead-to-effects) can be reliably expected to back up established authority and that the true prophet who speaks the inconvenient truth can expect reprisal from authority.
Read the whole thing, any version; he's the bravest human in the Old Testament to me, vv. 24-28:
Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up to Micaiah, slapped him on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” Micaiah replied, “You will find out on that day when you go in to hide in an inner chamber.” The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, and say, ‘Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison, and feed him on reduced rations of bread and water until I come in peace.’” Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, you peoples, all of you!”
Micaiah spoke anyway. We should too. There are a lot of Ahabs and Zedekiahs out there. Cleanliness may be next to godliness, but who knew that snarkiness in the face of sure reprisal is as well?
My $0.25 worth this penultimate day before Christmas.
Happy holidays to one and all. Hope this can be a time of peace for yourselves and others, that you can be an instrument of peace to those around you, that you will know that you make a difference for good, and that I'm thankful for all of you.