Fall quarter is flying by.
I gauge my time and life by getting through the next assignment. Before I know it it's already November 17!! Next week is Thanksgiving which seems insane! When this quarter started I didn't believe that 2007 was that far in. It seems like I just celebrated New Years, how can it possibly be Christmas-time again?
On that note, Christmas decorations and stuff are coming out earlier and earlier. This time I noticed Christmas things leaking into the stores at the beginning of October! Before Halloween! Santa and Baby Jesus in a manger should not be sharing a shelf with ghosts, goblins and pumpkins. Pretty soon the kickoff date for Christmas stuff will be January 5. That ought to be enough time to ruin the Christmas spirit.
The fun of the time leading up to Christmas is the mood that the cities transform into. The music, the shopping, the immense decorations. That makes the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas a time of preparation for something really special. But if that "spirit" is starting at the end of summer how is it special anymore? It's like celebrating your birthday every day. Pretty soon it's not so special and becomes disregarded when in fact this is an important holiday to Christians that should not be viewed as "oh it's just Christmas again" instead it should be the season of gratitude and thankfulness to our Creator and His Son which starts THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING.
I hate how secular these holidays have become. Incase everyone missed the memo this is a Christian holiday. I am learning in my Christian Scriptures class that God set the rules, festivals and special dress for the Jews to set them apart. When people saw Jews eating habits, special dress and celebration of rituals they knew they were Jews. What are we doing as Christians to show we are Christians? To show we are the people of God and have accepted that? Yes our God is the God of ALL humankind and we invite ALL to enter in but once you enter in you should show you believe you are chosen. Christmas is celebrated by many (except Jews who, weird, stick to their traditions strictly that give them their religous identity - we could learn to take a lesson from them). I can almost sympathize with those of other religions when they demand that their religion be represented (aka the Menorah next to the Christmas tree) because Christmas is no longer seen as a predominant "Christian holiday." Santa, and gifts, and elves are everywhere! Many (including some Christians that need a kick in the rear) are so consumed with the secular part of Christmas that the true meaning "oh yeah something about that Jesus thing" gets shoved way in the back. Thus we are now celebrating Christmas festivities in October. I just want to remind everyone (including myself) that Christmas is Jesus' birth first. And if I have to forego the secular Christmas hoohah in order to remember that then I should.
I'm also tired of being politically correct. This post may offend some. But I'm not sorry. I cannot be sorry for my beliefs, thoughts, or opinions anymore. And my opinions, thoughts and beliefs don't always include everyone, or apply to everyone or make every side happy. And that is the beauty of it. I think somewhere along this politically correct crap we Christians forgot that God has an offensive and challenging message to those who don't believe. And it is our job to a) uphold what God asks of us (aka Don't freaking forget what Christmas is all about) and b) to bring those who are offended, broken, and challenged in and guide them as we were once guided. Show them, educate them, don't just stand on your street corner and scare the hell out of them (not literally) or sugarcoat our religion. State the facts and then take their hand and lead them. Isn't that what Jesus did? Isn't that what he calls us to do?
SO DO IT.
(me included)
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