“Do you think it sounds offensive?”
I held up a Hallmark card shaped like a pair of angel’s wings to my two partners. We were shopping for Christmas cards to send to our business associates. It was our fledgling company’s first Christmas – we’d started up only 3 months ago – and we were determined to create the right impression.
“It’s gorgeous, but it sounds too religious,” frowned D, also a Christian.
“Yes. I think we should keep it secular,” I agreed.
“Guys, but that’s what Christmas is about!” Our other partner, A, a non-Christian, stood there looking at the both of us as if we were quite, quite mad.
In the end, D and I allowed ourselves to be placated and we got the cards.
As Christians who celebrate the birth of Jesus in a world where almost everyone embraces Christmas as a convenient occasion to enjoy good food, parties and presents to round off the year, it’s no news that Christmas has become secularised.
But the incident with the card made me realise something – how paranoid some of us Christians can be of inappropriately bringing up the religious in secular life. That D and I were so wary of being offensive by even mentioning the fact that Christmas is a Christian holiday was ludicrous, grave… and sad.
We all know that Jesus called us to evangelise, to spread the good news that He has come to save us and set us free. In the best of times, even mentioning Jesus to our non-Christian friends can seem scary, if not downright unthinkable. But at this time of the year when we celebrate Christ’s very birth, there really seems to be no better, or easier time to follow His instructions. At least, to those of us who are evangelising-phobic, Christmas seems to give us legitimate licence to speak about the true meaning of the holiday.
Of the dozens of Christmas cards we screened that day, the angel card was the only one that made direct mention of the God-man who started it all 2000 years ago.
So, this Advent, I pray for the courage and grace to speak of Jesus to those who don’t know him and I hope that maybe even one person receiving our angel card will be inspired to Google the ‘Christ’ who is at the centre of this holiday after reading its message:
His peace to you,
to those you love,
and to all whose hearts
still seek Him.
-reflection and photo contributed by Melissa de Silva
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