Remember the old Claymation stories where Christmas is going to be canceled because of a huge snowstorm or because Santa is fed up with people not believing in him? If not this year, then one soon, we face a future without Christmas. It's become politically incorrect to use the word. Stores are taking it from their displays and mail order companies from their catalogs.
The long-held tradition to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ has morphed over the decades. It's gone from a celebration of the birth of the Savior of the World, to the day Santa Claus comes with toys, to the day people run up credit card balances to purchase exorbitant gifts for their family and friends.
Now, Christmas is no more than a long shopping season with perhaps an idle reference to "that great prophet" or "that great teacher" who started it all. Not only has the significance of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world and the Son of God been diluted, but the holiday initiated in His name conveys only a shadow of its former iconic grandeur.
While I (and many like me) believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and Savior of the World, let's put that aside for a moment and pretend that he's just a prophet or just a great teacher. He's there with Mohammad, Moses, and the rest. Or perhaps some would put him on the level of people who initiated change like Columbus or Martin Luther King.
We have holidays to commemorate these men. We have Columbus Day and Martin Luther King Day. Would we be offended if someone came up to us and said, "Happy Columbus Day" or "Happy Martin Luther King Day?" I wouldn't? Would you?
Let's think about those two men, their holidays, and the principles they symbolize. Columbus engenders a sense of discovery, bravery, America, and enlightenment. For many, Martin Luther King's name symbolizes equality and rights.
Now let's do the same for Jesus Christ and Christmas. Certainly for a large percentage of the population, this is a religious holiday where we reverence the birth of the Son of God. But, what else does Christmas convey? It represents love, warmth, family, unity, kindness, generosity, goodness, forgiveness, and peace to name a few.
Traditions and symbols are the glue that holds society together. You take away Christmas and you take away the symbol. You take away the symbol and you lose its impact on society. Until a decade or two ago, Christmas shined like a beacon to believer and unbeliever alike as a quest for all that is good, wholesome and loving.
Unfortunately, that symbol is morphing into shopping sprees, debt and commercialism. Yet still, there at the heart are those old traditional principles - not completely dead, nor yet completely forgotten.
We have two choices. We can throw away the symbol because it has become corrupt or we can restore it to its former greatness. Some say we should eliminate this symbol because a few might be offended. Others say to throw it away because it has become corrupt. But what if we could restore it? Would any find offense at the original icon? I've never met anyone who's offended by peace, love, unity, and generosity. I'm sure there are some people out there who live in diametric opposition to these principles. But do we want to cater to them as a society? Do we want to foster the antithesis of these principles? I think not.
The problem with Christmas comes down to this - we're losing the spirit of it. We're forgetting those time-tested principles not only at Christmas but the whole year through. As a society we've replaced them with a me-first, instant gratification. "What am I going to get for Christmas?" "I've got to have the latest toy or gadget this year." Or "Oh, no, Christmas is coming and I'm broke."
Christmas is about so much more than gizmos and gifts and tinsel and trees. It's about warm memories, smiling faces, happy hearts, generous spirits, and peace on earth. If you believe as I do that the former glory of Christmas should be restored, I hope you'll get your complimentary copy of Miss Humbug, the novel about Elaina Houston - a high powered executive who learns what the Spirit of Christmas is all about.
It is my hope that giving away Miss Humbug and encouraging others to do so too will help rekindle this original spirit of Christmas. If we can do that, no one will argue with a hearty "Merry Christmas" offered their way. They'd hear the symbolic words and know that they are being wished "goodness, happiness, mercy, blessings and peace." Those are just too irresistible to turn down!