Irony & A Big Ole Bowl Of "I Don't Get It"

The fact that it is Friday is just a beautiful, glorious thing.  Friday never comes soon enough, now does it?  Going into the weekend, I'm sure many of you have a busy few days ahead of you. Maybe it's Christmas parties, visiting Santa, looking at all the festive lights around town, or shopping for that perfect gift for everyone on your list.  With all the hustle and bustle that comes with the holiday season, I really want to encourage you to remember why we celebrate Christmas, though. 

I know you probably think you know where I'm going with this, and you're probably half way right.  As a mom of a toddler, I'm really trying to balance teaching Chloe the real meaning of Christmas while also getting to enjoy the sparkle in her eyes that comes visiting and learning about Santa, opening presents, and all the other festivities that go along with this time of year.  It's most important to me that she doesn't just think of presents and Santa Clause when she thinks of Christmas, though. I want her to know Christ, understand that he is the reason for the season. 

Now, that brings me to some frustrations I'm fighting off this week.  I'm trying really, really hard to not find bitterness in this, but more and more, I'm learning of people around me that are atheist.  I know that the proper way to feel would be to not judge, pray for them, and just generally be a good Christian. To be honest, though, I have a really hard time respecting their choice, especially during this time of the year.  SO many of these people I see on my Facebook newsfeed preparing for Christmas. Posts about Christmas shopping, pictures of trees decorated to the nth degree, all the basics of the Christmas season, and I just don't get it.  What is the point of Christmas when you take Christ out of it?  It basically makes for a holiday filled with meaningless presents and a bunch of festive hoopla with no true reasoning.  I can't help but letting it anger me a bit.  WHY do you participate in a Christian holiday if you aren't a Christian? It really borders on disrespectful.  It would be like me participating in Hanukah for eight days of presents.  Wouldn't that likely offend the Jewish community? So, why have we Americanized Christmas rather than Christianized it? It's become more of a cultural tradition than a recognized religious day.

I guess non believers celebrate just because it's a societal norm, but as I sit here trying to explain the meaning of Christmas to Chloe, I just don't understand. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. I don't understand their lack of faith, I don't understand how people can surround themselves with others celebrating the birth of their savior and go along with it like they're there for the right reason.  It's something to think about... 

I'll leave you with this.  I saw this on Facebook this morning and found it poignant to wake up to after laying in bed for a good hour last night pondering the irony of Christmas for non-believers. 

 

Till next time,

 

Lori