It’s Okay to Say Merry Christmas

This sign really caught my attention.

I recently drove by this sign on the way to pick my kids up from school. I found myself saying, “right on!” Now, I have spent my entire life in the heart of the Bible Belt. I have always attended church and celebrated Christmas along with almost everyone I know.

I’m not sure when saying the phrase, “Merry Christmas,” became offensive to some people. It’s simply a friendly greeting to spread Christmas cheer. No one who uses this phrase is attempting be intolerant of the beliefs of others. And when did celebrating the birth of Christ become intolerant or offensive?

Jesus, himself represented love and grace. But, guess what? In his day, he was considered offensive to those in power. When he healed a woman on the Sabbath, in Luke, Chapter 13, he offended those in charge, the Pharisees. They said he was breaking the law by “working” on the Sabbath. His work was healing. He saw a woman in distress, felt compassion for her and healed her. That was his nature.

He also offended the status quo when he healed a man on the Sabbath, in Mark, Chapter 3. He wasn’t as much concerned with the law as with the people who were suffering. The people in charge were very legalistic and the scripture tells us that Jesus was saddened by their hardness of heart.

Today, we also live in a land governed by laws and that’s usually a good thing. In 1885, Congress established a federal law that made December 25th, Christmas Day, a holiday for all federal employees. The law didn’t say the 25th was a winter holiday or some unnamed season. It said, Christmas Day was a federal holiday.

Fast forward to good old 2013; we have been surrounded by a different kind of Pharisee. We have been taken over by the Political Correctness Police. These self-appointed, folks have decided that we can’t say Merry Christmas in schools or in anything that has to do with the government, even though the U.S. Government has been officially recognizing Christmas since 1885.

Why are these people so offended by Christmas? It’s a day that represents hope, peace and joy to all who believe.

This sign reminds us of the reason for the season.

I encountered this second sign a little further down the road. These private citizens are peacefully showing their faith and exercising their First Amendment rights. Maybe we should all do a little more of that. Maybe as Christians, we should all be sure to say “Merry Christmas” to strangers as well as put “Merry Christmas” on our greeting cards instead of “Happy Holidays.”

Maybe we should be a little less concerned about being offensive and little more concerned about the true reason for the season. If the idea of peace, hope, joy and love is offensive, maybe the P.C. police need a heart check. I’ll start here. Merry Christmas Ya’ll! What do you think? Feel free to share.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂