Unabashedly Wishing You a Happy Holiday

My Kids in Front of An Evergreen Tree. Joke-Lighten Up.;) 

In case you  missed it, I started working at a church. Yes, me, the eternal questioner is now in charge of molding the minds of young Catholics. Wanna hear God laugh? Make plans.

Anywhoo, my job is not the topic here today, Christmas is. Yes, Christmas, the holiday with Christ in the name. It seems some folks out there are afraid that some other folks are trying to steal Christ from Christmas. And those first folks think that anyone who isn’t with them, is against them and they need to speak out about it.

Funny, I can’t recall the bible verse where Christ tells me to be against anyone. Is that in the Book of Paranoia?

Here’s the thing. I’m a Christian. Hell, I’ll even go one step further and admit I’m Catholic. (Yikes.) Lately, I’m even a little more into these labels for myself. But never, not ever (there I go saying never, again) did it occur to me that people who do no believe what I believe are either A) against me or B) out to destroy me or my faith or  anything having to do with said faith.

The world is big. America, with it’s giant and diverse population, sometimes feels bigger. The world, and America, are full of all sorts of different people whom, I believe (as a believer) were put here by God. Now that they’re here, they choose to believe and worship and not believe and not-worship as they see fit. Last I checked, none of what they do with or without God or Yahweh or Allah or Goddess or whomever, any of my business, nor is what I do theirs.

My kids asked the other day why our “Christmas Cards” say, “Merry, Merry Everything” (spoiler alert). I’ll be honest with you, years ago I started picking generic cards because I was always late in sending them so I figured a general wish was best. But then it occurred to me once, looking at my address list, I am actually NOT wishing everyone on that list a Merry Christmas. I have friends who worship in Churches of all sorts as well as Temples and Mosques. There are also some on that list that don’t worship anywhere because that is not what they believe in. Guess what? I would like them all to have a cute picture of my kids and a card that tells them they are special enough to me that I am thinking of them this time of year because I love them regardless of where they spend or don’t spend the Sabbath/Holy days.

That’s all: cute kids, best wishes, universal love. The end.

Recently, I’ve heard about evangelizing more and more and more. (See above job reference.) I for one am not using my Holiday Cards to evangelize.

Or am I?

Perhaps sending love and best wishes to my fellow humans free of judgement or assumption is exactly what Jesus meant by speak my word to the people.  Maybe it’s not. Either way, I’m pretty sure it is not my job to decide what is right and wrong for them. And for those who think that my wishing someone a Happy Holiday is sacrilege or somehow taking Christ out of Christmas, I’d ask you to help me understand how including everyone in goodwill is against what we were taught by the guy who readily befriended sinners, especially when we’re all sinners ourselves.

They’re not out to get us. Perhaps we should stop acting like they are. I’m all for keeping Christ in Christmas, as long as it doesn’t include keeping other people out.

Happy Holidays.