By Gustav Krös
We all know that Christmas isn’t quite what it’s supposed to be. Over time, various traditions were incorporated into the celebration of Jesus’s birth (of which the exact date remains unknown) and has become a holiday that many non-Christians participate in.
Christmas trees, Santa Clause and giving gifts has turned Christmas into a public holiday that can be celebrated without having to include any reference to the birth of Christ. There is obviously great danger for Christians within this aspect, it can lead them into celebrating Christmas without ever reflecting or giving recognition to the true significance of what is actually celebrated. These non-essential add-ons, that have no Scriptural origin, easily become the focus point of Christmas and can end-up becoming an idol, replacing Christ as the focal point of the celebration.
There are Christians however who maintain the birth of Christ as the focal point of their festivities, while incorporating aspects like a Christmas tree and gift giving at the same time. Personally, I do not judge fellow believers who still incorporate these aspects while having a Christ centred Christmas, because I do believe it comes down to the sincerity of one’s heart. And I will admit that I enjoy the joyful atmosphere that all these add-ons create.
At the same time, there is also truth in the matter that as long as we include these add-ons, we always walk a fine line of having it draw our focus away from the real reason for celebrating Christmas. Therefore, I can also respect fellow believers who prefer to not include any of these non-scriptural add-ons for the sake of protecting themselves and making sure their celebrations only focus on Christ.
I am amazed however at how God has used all the add-ons and the subsequent secularisation of Christmas as an avenue to share His birth with people who do not know Him. As I mentioned earlier, all the add-ons to Christmas have created it into a joyous family holiday that is celebrated all around the world by many non-Christians. This secular celebration of Christmas in non-traditional Christian nations, opens the doors for Christians within those nations to share with people the truth behind the celebration of Christmas.
For many of our missionary friends around the world, who work in nations where the majority of the people do not know Christ, Christmas is the busiest and most opportune time to share with people about Jesus. Because everyone is celebrating Christmas, Christians are purposefully having Christmas celebrations to share with their neighbours about the true meaning behind Christmas. During this time of year, the government in many of these nations do not prohibit Christians from having Christmas celebrations, because everyone is celebrating it.
The Church and missionaries thus know that this is the one time in the year that they have the most freedom to share about Christ and thus they embrace it. They will have multiple Christmas parties, meals, plays and carol evenings throughout December, to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel of Christ.
The reality is, that if Christmas had not been secularised to the extent that even non-Christians celebrate in, this would never have been possible. So, we come to see how God can even use the secularisation of His own birth to get access into unreached countries, so the people within those countries can get to know Him.
There is a saying; God can hit a straight shot with a crooked stick, and I think this is a prime example of it. That even as crooked as our Christmas celebrations might have become, He actually uses it to make Himself known in areas where He is not known yet.
So, whatever shape your Christmas celebration might take this year, may Christ remain the focus point of it and like our friends in the mission field, may we remain mindful of the opportunity it renders us to share Christ with those around us.
May you have a blessed Christmas filled with the love, peace and joy that can only be found in our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
