The wars of Christmas

We don’t mean to wade into the “war on Christmas” so soon after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but the charades and contradictions of too many unwise Christians leaves us little choice.
After all, it is that time of year again, a time once celebrated with simple gifts, spices of the season and the lights of real candles. Now, all of our Christmas traditions are computer-based and more virtual than real. Like angels, only not.
The War on Christmas used to be what Christian fundamentalists accused liberals, atheists and secularists of doing when they spelled Christmas as Xmas or called a Christmas tree a holiday tree instead. This year they blamed Starbucks for being anti-Christ for taking white stars and other seasonal symbols off its red cups.
Well, there is certainly a war on Christmas, but it is not the one imagined by people too insecure in their own Christian faith to allow others their own.
The War on Christmas is self-inflicted, fueled by an orgy of hyper-consumerism in too many phony Christian households. There is no longer room for a baby Jesus, the son of God promised to the shepherds of Bethlehem by the angels on high (Luke 2: 1-20). While we argue about whether to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” we crowd out Christ’s lessons of justice, love, compassion and grace.
On both sides of this fake war, we all buy too many things and forget to give gifts. Many of our children no longer know the difference.
Don’t take it from someone like us, someone who likes the story of Ebenezer Scrooge over Charlie Brown or Saint Nicholas. Listen, instead, to what Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, said on this eve of Christmas:
“We are close to Christmas. There will be lights, there will be parties, bright trees, even Nativity scenes, all decked out, while the world continues to wage war,” Pope Francis said during Mass at the Casa Santa Maria, the Roman Catholic college next to the Vatican in Rome.
“The world has not understood the way of peace. The whole world is at war,” the Pope said. “What shall remain in the wake of this war, in the midst of which we are living now? What shall remain? Ruins, thousands of children without education, so many innocent victims and lots of money in the pockets of arms dealers. We should ask for the grace to weep for this world, which does not recognize the path to peace.”
Here, at Christmas time, the Pope chooses to speak of war — a very different war than the petty so-called “culture wars” amongst American consumers. Pope Francis is talking about the war on children in Syria, Africa and elsewhere. He is talking about world leaders who build armies and drop bombs instead of protecting millions of refugees and other innocent victims.
“A war can be justified, so to speak, with many, many reasons, but when all the world as it is today, at war, piecemeal though that war may be – a little here, a little there – there is no justification,” he said.
These real wars are far from our homes here in Sonoma County. What can we do to respond to Pope Francis’ plea? We can share prayers for peace at our many community holiday tree and candle lighting ceremonies. We can share the more durable spirit of Christmas full of joy, giving and merriment — sentiments that credit cards can’t buy.
Maybe we can’t end these wars right now, but we can feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, give refuge to the poor, the displaced and the unwanted and speak and do to others as we would choose for ourselves. We can join the Pope and denounce all wars, even our petty ones.
— Rollie Atkinson