Christmas Trees

Ok, those of you who know me know that I am super easy going, and stuff doesn't bug me too much. I'm willing to live with ambiguity, and can normally see things from every side (at least I make it a point to really try too). Some might call that "wishy washy." I call that "counterfactual reasoning." (look it up -- it's a real thing!).

Anyways, there is something that has just come up around Milwaukee this time of year that I must admit totally bugs me. What is it you ask?

Holiday trees.

Not Christmas trees.

Holiday trees.

Here's the thing, I'm ok with people saying "Happy Holidays" to each other at this time of year, recognizing that others are celebrating different religious events at the same time as we are (Hanukkah being the most obvious). "Seasons Greetings" works for me too, knowing that there are plenty of people we come into contact every day for whom Christmas is neither "Merry" nor do they really want to know or worship the Christ of Christmas (therefore maybe for them "Seasons Greetings" is more honest). And unfortunately, I think that sometimes Christians use "Merry CHRISTmas" as kind of an "in-your-face" challenge to any and all opponents of the messiah, and as a way to impose dominance on the rest of the world.

All that is to say I'm all for being sensitive to proclaiming the Merry Christmas message in a life-giving way, and for respecting others rights NOT to do so.

But...holiday trees?

As far as I know, trees have no place in any other modern day mainline religious context (especially around late December). Therefore when I hear it called a "holiday tree", I think to myself, what does that mean?

I guess I know what it means -- it means we have this anxious need to make everyone feel comfortable and not offend anyone (which I agree with in part. We should always be looking to give people life, not make them feel marginalized). But then the answer to that struggle is the troublesome part -- lets just change the name of the Christmas symbol so that no one will be offended. Let's call it a holiday tree instead, therefore everyone will be happy, and everyone's beliefs will be affirmed.

I guess that is where I disagree.

Because in the process of making the Christmas tree work for everyone, it ends up not really working for anyone. In fact, in the process of changing name of a symbol, not just Christian belief but everyone's beliefs are demeaned. It could be argued then that we should start calling public displays of Menorah's "Winter Candle Stands", or Manger Scenes "mini-motel prototypes"? Fact is, when we change the meaning of our religious symbols, we suck the power right out of them for the believer, and all of us lose in the end.

Here's what I wish we could do. I wish our city centers could have a Christmas Tree, a Menorah, a Kinara (a Kwanza Candle Stand), and maybe other symbols and representations of the religious communities of Milwaukee. I wish we could agree to encourage people to celebrate their own faith, with each of us even trying to find the best of what other people's faith has to offer as well. We could learn a lot from those different that us. Instead of watering everything down, I wish we could encourage others to celebrate their "holidays", and I wish they could encourage us to do the same.

That doesn't mean as Christians we have to accept others religious beliefs as the full truth. That doesn't mean we have to bow to any other God except the God of Jesus Christ. That doesn't mean we have to say, "All roads lead equally to God." That doesn't mean we can't use Christmas as a chance to share the best story ever told that God became incarnate in Bethlehem.

But it does mean that we need to respect each other enough to allow each other to celebrate and practice their faith. When we water down our differences, we degrade and demean each other. It is not being respectful.

And holiday trees are not respectful. I wish we could call them what they are, or just not have them at all.

That's enough on that. Wow, I must be cranky today! I promise a more hopeful post next time!

Have a blessed week.

jeff