And so it is Christmas...

Is Christmas under attack in our society? Is Christianity under attack? I don’t think so.

I remember when people used to worry about the “commercialization” of Christmas, and now one of the primary worries seems to be that Christmas is not sufficiently commercialized.

I believe that most of the controversy in the schools and other public forums can be traced back to confusion rather than conspiracy. School officials, parents, and other members of the community are doing their best to figure out the proper way to address the separation of church and state (an idea that has actually increased the vitality of religion in the U.S.) and to make room for the diversity of religious expression in our society.

It may be that this renewed focus on the celebration of Christmas could lead to more clear-eyed discussion on the pagan origins of the holiday and how Christianity has adapted itself to culture. It’s worth noting that not all Christians celebrate Christmas, and many people celebrate Christmas who are not Christians. Also, it strikes me that Easter is a more important holiday in the theology of the Christian church, yet I don’t encounter expectations that public school choirs will sing “Jesus Christ is Risen Today,” or that stores will display crosses or representations of the Resurrection.

As far as popular culture goes, it seems that a form of evangelical Christianity is in ascendancy. The hugely popular “Left Behind” series, along with a number of other Christian bestsellers like "The Purpose-Driven Life," can be found in bookstores, department stores, and even grocery stores. “The Passion of the Christ” proved that Christian themes are hugely profitable, and the first installment of the film version of the Narnia books by Christian author, C.S. Lewis, is apparently forthright about its religious symbolism, hoping to attract that same religious market along with lovers of fantasy.

The fact is that the marketplace is responsive to what people buy. Christians are in a majority in our culture and thus are able to have a huge societal influence, in what they choose to purchase, how much they consume, where they choose to shop, and what policies and politicians they support. The question is: how will Christians choose to leverage that influence? By forcing stores to display manger scenes, or by pressuring the corporations who own these stores to pay a living wage, provide healthcare, and institute family-friendly policies? By making sure that school choirs sing “Silent Night,” or by making sure that education is well-funded, accessible to all, and of the highest quality? By counting the number of times “God” is mentioned in the State of the Union address, or by working toward policies of social justice in keeping with the word of God as expressed through the great Hebrew prophets? By making sure that the society “appears” Christian, or by living out the teachings of Jesus?

One thing about Christmas that any child can tell you: it’s not about the wrapping paper…it’s about the gift inside.