Random Rantings |

Dear Uncle Scrooge,

I seem to be having a crisis of faith about Christmas lately. Since you have some special enlightenment about the holiday, I am hoping that you will share some of your wisdom on the subject. As I am now firmly in the middle ages of my life, I find I have lost the meaning or purpose of Christmas. It no longer has any mystery or magic to it and I have trouble seeing it in others. I hope to discuss with you Christmas, but not on some high level, but to tear it apart and look at each of the pieces as if under a microscope. I guess the best place to start is to look at where Christmas comes from.

The very base of its name is Christ Mass or the celebration of Christ. Just about anyone you talk to today would tell you that it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. However, with a little research, one can find a flaw with December the 25 being the date that Christ was born. In the account of the birth found in Luke chapter 2:

1 And it happened in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee to be taxed (out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David). 5 And he took Mary his betrothed wife, being with child. 6 And while they were there, the days for her deliverance were fulfilled. 7 And she brought forth her son, the First-born, and wrapped Him, and laid Him in a manger– because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And in the same country there were shepherds living in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And lo, the angel of the Lord came on them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were grievously afraid. 10 And the angel said to them, Do not fear. For behold, I give to you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For to you is born today, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this is a sign to you. You will find the babe wrapped, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it happened as the angels departed from them into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Indeed, let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has happened, which the Lord made known to us. 16 And hurrying they came and sought out both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. 17 And seeing, they publicly told about the word spoken to them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard marveled about the things spoken to them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these sayings, meditating in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as was spoken to them.

Here we can see that when Jesus was born, shepherds where living out in the fields with their sheep (verse 8). I now live here in sheep country. Shepherds do not leave their flocks of sheep (let along live outside) in the middle of winter. Sheep are brought in during the winter months. Now I have never been to Israel to see the land for myself during the winter, but unless that nation is in the southern hemisphere (and last time I check a globe it was not), it would have been winter there too. This passages seems to indicate that Jesus was born in late spring, summer or even early fall and not in the middle of winter.

But how then did Jesus’ birthday get set at December 25? For this we can thank the Catholic church. In the early days of the church, priests found that many pagans celebrated the winter solstice (shortest day of the year). Their goals where to please their gods so that their gods would bring spring and new life. Since the Catholic church had such a hard time getting people to stop celebrating winter solstice (a day with such importance and meaning to them), the Catholic church did what they do best and just assimilated the holiday, making it their own. To give it even more importance and meaning, they set the birth of Jesus to that day. What could be more important that the birth of the Christian Lord and Savior? This allowed people to celebrate the holiday without going against faith.

So, given the evidence from the bible and the history of the holiday, it is clear that it is NOT the real day of the birth of Jesus. But does that make the holiday null and void? If it is not the actual day of Jesus’ birth, then is the entire holiday a farce to be avoided? The answer to that can also be found in the Bible. Paul address this in 1 Corinthians 10:

31 Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews, or to the Greeks or to the church of God; 33 even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, so that they may be saved.

Since the church’s purpose of the holiday is to bring glory to God and that many may be saved, there is is nothing religiously wrong with celebrating Jesus’ birthday on the 25 of December (provided your religious beliefs include the new testament of the Bible).

As you can see, I find this holiday to be one of conflict and paradox and I have only started with this issues I have with Christmas. However, the hour is drawing late and I must go for now. I will continue this in a later letter. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this confusing subject.

Your loving great nephew

E. Cliff