Live Oak — Since this is still the 12 days of Christmas, and Epiphany is around the corner. Ah, it’s the most controversial time of the year! With Christianity under attack in these modern times and for a rampant fear of offending anybody the media is no longer prone to publish “Merry Christmas,” but they say, “Happy Holidays!” Have you noticed? I believe it is done for the sake of keeping the peace, but there’s no getting around it; people are still offended in this, for what started as blatantly Christian has become secular, and if indeed Christmas was a cover-up for pagan holidays, an unlikely story exploited by coincidence in my book, then it has been again stolen by secularism. It is no longer about the joys of Christ, much less Christian virtue. It is about indulgence, sometimes with selfless intentions, but so often it turns to selfishness! So then, this is a time of cultural war between those who maintain Christmas as a Christian tradition and those who continue to steal it and make it secular. The media finds itself caught in the middle, and with that comes an unprecedented responsibility to be unbiased, for they too have their beliefs.

Not just the media, but all businesses, civilian or government-operated, seem to be caught in the middle. Yet, not some of them, but all of them are said to violate the unwritten law of “separation of Church and State” – a misunderstanding of Thomas Jefferson’s words in a private letter within the context of the 1st amendment – if they display the slightest hint of religion. What then, but that they are expected to have no religion – yes, even private businesses! “In 2005, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport removed all of its Christmas trees in the middle of the night rather than allow a rabbi to put up a menorah near the largest tree display. Officials feared that one display would open the door for other religious displays…the city of Boston renamed the spruce tree used to decorate the Boston Common a “Holiday Tree” rather than a “Christmas Tree” (Wikipedia). I’m sure there is a Robin Hood quality to all this to many people, but to Christians, and evidently to modern Jews it is thievery! It is not even the issue of the first amendment right (the force of which forbade Congress from establishing tyrannical laws respecting any religion), but now the masses cry “No private business may establish any tradition respecting any religion in our culture,” and that translates to, “No freedom of religion, especially to those who have predominance!” So then by turning Jefferson’s words to their advantage, the non-Christians have nullified the first amendment right for Christians!

Let me simply say to you who hold to the tradition, “Merry Christmas!” For it is our right to say so, and it is scriptural to hold a certain day to the Lord, even if at one time they sacrificed this day to the pagan gods. Remember the eating-meats controversy (Rom.14:1-6)? Only let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. I invite you all to observe the significance: Christmas is not celebrating Jesus’ birthday with a cake and candles. It is celebrating the beginning of God’s work to save men from their sins. Read Jn.1:1-14; 2Tim.1:10. Read Lk.1-2. Hear the words of Simeon (Lk.2:34-35) and see the actions of Anna (v.36-38)! This of course means nothing to you if you don’t believe Jesus is the Son of God sent for you and me. To those who do, and are faithful to the Lord for His authority in all things, it is an inexpressible joy full of mercy, hope, guidance, purpose, wisdom, and life eternal in this age and in the age to come!



– Tim Seaton is the preacher at the Northside Church of Christ located on SR 51 north of Mayo’s stoplight. Come edify and be edified with us: Sun. 9:30, 10:45am; Wed. 7pm. We seek no authority but Christ; we seek no name but Christian.