Happy Holidays and Other Inconveniences

I am very much convinced that Christians should pick their battles. I believe there are times when Christians must stand up against true injustice and in defense of the poor and oppressed. There are also times we need to stand up and be bold and defend our ability to openly proclaim our faith. But I am also convinced we need to avoid being petty and making big issues over virtually nothing. The holiday season seems to be a time when there is ample opportunity for these sort of pettiness. It does not help that there are many on the opposite side who are also being petty and being offended over trivia. But that does not mean we should follow them in it.

Christians are called to stand up for truth, are called to do so boldly, but with gentleness (1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Colossians 4:5,6). Now there is a point where this requires standing up to the people in power (Acts 4:19,20; 5:29; Daniel 3:16-18). But these are contentions over matters of substance. It is one thing to stand on principle, and it is another thing to argue over details. Now part of my problem is, I feel both sides have put too much importance on these issues. I am sure if you search land and sea you will find someone who was converted to Christianity by a nativity scene in a public building.. I knew a man who was converted to Christianity by "Jesus Christ, Superstar." But I question whether there is anything here worth fighting over on either side. There may be some purely symbolic struggle here over who is in charge of society. But I do not see that it is the Christian's job to try to be in charge of society. And if we were, I do not see how we would accomplish it by these types of arguments. I am not at all sure that much of this is not a promotion of a nominal Christianity that gets confused with the real thing.

Now there can be a hard line to draw when what is involved is the individual Christian's being allowed to express their faith. If a Christian is required by their employer to only say "Happy Holidays" and never "Merry Christmas," should they go along? This is one of those marginal things that each person must establish in their own mind. Nor should we accept the concept of the establishment of secularism, which is no different than the establishment of religion. But in many of these fights we make ourselves look as petty as our opponents. And I do not see how this accomplishes anything useful.