The “x” DOES make a difference …

It seems like every year, at about this time, hoards of Christians come out of the woodwork complaining how non-believers are “taking Christ out of Christmas,” railing against the use of “xmas” in place of the real word, and generally being louder than they often are the rest of the year.

One Christian friend recently posted a comment saying he doesn’t care about the “xmas” argument, there’s far more important things to be focused on, and let’s just enjoy the season.

I can understand his sentiment in that there are many important issues in this world to give our attention to. But I disagree with his dismissal about the issue of identifying Christmas because I think he’s on the wrong side of the argument.

The reason?

Because Christmas is entirely about Christ!

Christmas has absolutely NOTHING to do with family or personal traditions, giving or receiving gifts, decorations, food feasts, office parties, or any other thing we associate with this this time of year. Christmas is wholly about God sending His Son into this world to provide salvation for all humankind.

The problem is that far too many Christians have taken Christ out of Christmas every bit as much as non-believers have, even if they refer to this time of year as “Christmas.” When our focus is on the trappings of the holiday, rather than the giving of Christ to the world, we’re missing the point as much as anyone else. If that’s the case, we call Christmas anything we want, because it really isn’t a “mass for Christ.”

Keeping the word “Christ” in the name of the holiday can be important in reminding the world what it is we’re celebrating. But actually bringing Christ to the world, and truly celebrating Him, is what is of ultimate importance.

It does matter that we not “x” out Christ from Christmas. That is done far more by what we do and how we live, than by what we call a holiday.

Are you living out Christmas, or celebrating a holiday?

Scotty