It certainly seems odd, but in the highly-politicized, post-Obama world of American politics, the simple words “Merry Christmas” will reliably sort people into baskets at the left and right hand of Father Christmas.
For convenience, let’s acknowledge those two baskets are the political left and the political right. Between them sits Father Christmas, who viewed by the left is government delivering goodies to those in need 24/7/365. To the political right, however, sits a bearded dictator intent on stomping out any choice in the way we live our lives.
Merry Christmas.
I suspect the polarization of Christmas would track pretty well with government spending over the past few generations. You see, Father Christmas and Santa at least make a real effort to find out what you want before they climb down your chimney to deliver it. Their elves are out, dressed in bright red costumes, in many shopping malls weeks before Christmas, where they pose for photos with kids while they ask about gifting preferences.
Government rarely asks what you want. That’s because once so empowered, government – at least in its own eyes – already knows exactly what you need. Their elves are simply intent on giving it to you. And give it to you they will – whether you want it or not!
Interestingly, the words “Merry Christmas” also separate the religious left and right into their respective baskets. To the religious left, it’s all about “love,” which is a nice, soft, mushy term that means pretty much whatever each individual feels like it means at that particular moment in time.
For the religious right, it’s all about God’s love for humanity, expressed through the birth of his Son and His death 33 years later on a cross at the hands of the humanity he came to save. Therefore we will love Him – even if we are terrified of him.
For those willing to go deeper into the narrative of Christmas, a mutual love emerges, in what by all rights should be – and in the absence of God’s gift of Christ at Christmas would be – an impossible union between humanity and God. It was the union we once had when it all began in the Garden of Eden. There, God walked and talked among the man and woman in the cool of the evening, because they were His Family.
We broke the relationship. God paid the price to restore it. At Christmas, each of us once again confronts the choice God has placed in front of us: He asks, “Do you want to be a member of the political or religious left or right – or do you want to be a member of My Family?”
Merry Christmas.
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