Does Christmas really have anything to do with celebrating Christ's birth, or is Christmas actually just the centuries-old "appropriation" of what was originally a pagan holiday?
And besides, isn't the "true spirit" of Christmas lost in the rush to rack-up massive debt buying bigger and better gifts this year ... as a substitute for the genuine affection that's been lacking throughout the year?
I mean, the word Christmas isn't mentioned anywhere in scripture, nor are we instructed to observe or celebrate Christ's birth (assuming it was anywhere near December 25 in the first place) or set it aside as a holiday.
And what about Halloween? Or Easter? Or St. Patrick's Day?
See, growing up in Florida, Gasparilla was my favorite holiday, when we celebrated the looting, rapine and murderous antics of the pirate Jose Gaspar (who turned out to be an entirely fictional character- ooops).
Should believers celebrate Gasparilla? What about the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving or Labor Day? What about it?
On the other hand, are any of these controversies real issues ... or merely straw men stuffed into Pharisaical robes by Holy Joes?
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
I got my hands full paying attention to the two greatest commandments without worrying about tacking on private sticky-rules of my own creation ... much less expecting others to honor my home-made opinions and traditions.
Or lack thereof.
1 comment:
LOL Whew! For a minute there, I was afraid you were turning into a Jehovah's Witness or something...
--b
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