Faith Scribbling

During the Christmas season, many of us search. We search for the perfect gift, the right outfit for the office party, or the cutest pictures to share on our Christmas cards. For many it can also be a futile search for happiness. People search for Christmas “magic,” possibly trying to recapture a feeling from long ago, days remembered through the rose-colored glasses of time. And for many, it is a fruitless search, a search for something that doesn’t exist. The true search that many overlook, or from which they turn away (often due to the actions of others), is the search for a genuine relationship with God. The meaning of the event of Christmas is obvious to Christians. We don’t know Jesus’ exact birthday, but we celebrate it on December 25. We celebrate the birth of our Savior. We might think that’s enough in and of itself, but as humans, we need to develop in our faith, a faith that goes beyond the celebration of this miracle. As Jesus developed spiritually – illustrated b...

“Keep Christ in Christmas? How about we see some Christ in Christians?” I am paraphrasing a tweet I saw the other day, one that has stuck with me. Every Christmas season, we are reminded by the media of the “War on Christmas,” replete with stories of competing displays in public spaces placed to counter the message of the Nativity scene. This year we have the heart-warming Satanist display in Illinois and, here in Connecticut, the holiday greetings banner from our atheist neighbors . (Happy holidays too, my neighbors!)   Some see this as a threat, taking to social media to remind us they will be wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and will sing along with “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” And yes, Baby, it’s cold outside.   Let’s be real for a moment about this approach. People who say they don’t like Christians and Christianity are repulsed by what they see as hypocritical, obnoxious behavior. And they have a point. When the things one enjoys about Christmas are u...