Pastor Ken
In December this year, my wife and I traveled around Southeast Asia. Whether the community is Buddhist, Hindu, or folk religion, as long as it is a town crowded with Western tourists, Christmas decorations are displayed. Hotel lobbies and shopping malls are all decorated with Christmas trees, Santa Claus, his reindeer sleigh, and gifts. Even though the outside weather is balmy, we still see snowflakes and fireplace chimneys on display. As for background music, the most popular pieces are “Jingle Bell” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
The obvious reason local people display such decorations is to please Western tourists and encourage consumption. It may also reflect their understanding of Christmas. The festival is about the legend of Santa Claus, gifts, and joy. This is exactly the result of how the Christian faith has turned into a popular culture. The protagonist of Christmas has changed from Jesus Christ to Santa Claus.
In the West, Christmas has been a day to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ for seventeen centuries. In the fourth century, the Pope of the Christian Church in the Roman Empire settled the date on December 25. Seemingly, he chose the date to coincide with the people’s celebration of the winter solstice festival. Over time, what started as a folk festival has transformed into a religious celebration. Today, however, this religious festival has once again become predominantly a folk festival. Perhaps we shouldn’t feel too sorry about it.
According to the Bible, Jesus never taught His disciples to commemorate His birth. In the early church, no one knew exactly when Jesus was born, nor paid attention to it. On the other hand, Jesus did teach His disciples to commemorate His death and resurrection. The emphasis lies not on any specific day, but rather on the significance of His death for believers and the profound link it establishes between His resurrection and their lives.
Many children like to celebrate birthdays. They want to grow up and do things like adults. In addition, birthdays bring enticing food and gifts. When we grow older, we give less attention to birthdays. After the next generations establish their own families, finding joy in regular care and meaningful interaction with our children and grandchildren surpasses the significance of grand birthday celebrations. As we age, our children may want to celebrate our longevity. Yet we know well that every passing year brings us one step closer to the end.
The meaning of life is never determined by the birthday. No matter how long life is, its meaning depends on human dignity, humanity, interaction with others, and fulfillment of life’s mission. Putting aside the expression of Jesus’ divinity, as a human being, He’d lived a perfect life and fulfilled his life’s mission.
People who accept Jesus as Lord value most of their interactions with Him daily and how to live a life like Him. To me, whether Jesus was born on December 25 isn’t important. Instead of joining the popular culture, such as dressing up in festive clothes and wearing a Santa hat, let us share the Gospel and how Jesus affects our lives.
