12.13.08
“O Come Let Us Censor Him”
If C.S. Lewis were to write a fantasy story about a culture like the one most of us live in, one like US, I could predict that there would be a section of it that related to religion as offensive and the culture’s desire to censor it (at least some within the culture).
If his fantasy had talking beavers who were in conversation with two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, it might go something like this:
Peter: “You know I’ve been told at work that I’m allowed to say “happy holidays,” but not “merry Christmas,” because I might offend people who are of other religions.
Mr. Beaver: (laughing out loud and spilling some of his coffee)
You know Peter, history teaches us that Stephen was the first Christian martyr. In truth, however, he is second to Christ. Long before Nero and the Romans had started killing Christians, the Jews were doing the job. The fact is, Christians, like their Messiah, are constantly a threat to their preferred way of living. For those who do not believe in His name, they are a constant offense to Christ.
If it is to be said more accurately, Christmas declares the coming of God on His terms, not those of man. He is declared ‘God with us.’ He makes himself known to objects of His mercy (Rom. 9:23) both from the Jews and the non-Jews.
But Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the ‘Stumbling Stone.’ As it is written: ‘See, I lay in Zion a Stone that causes men to stumble and a Rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes . . . if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 9:22-10:10).
12.11.08
“O Come Let Us Offend Him”
The Creator God came into His Creation in the image of one of his creatures. “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:10-12).
For anyone who does not believe this truth, Christmas would be extremely offensive. Christ himself would be offensive. Consider these Christmastime lyrics from the closing of Schulz’s timeless classic, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown”:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Instead of a world that is berated and suffocating under the dogma and chains of religion, the postmodern world is free. We are sovereign. We make our own choices with our own bodies, our spouses, our children, our health, our money, our possessions, our nation, religion, whatever.
The world we live in today has a new approach to sensitive matters such as religion and politics. We accept all of it. Today all of the rules are tossed aside. All of the lines are blurred. Today we have liberal conservatives, moderates, and conservative liberals. I drove past a church that announces that finally, here exists a liberal church. We have religious politics and political religions. We affirm differences within culture. Everyone’s opinion is equally valid.
When it comes to religion, the name of the game is tolerance. We say “yes” to Hanukkah, (poor Jews–they always get mistreated) AND Christmas. In California, maybe we don’t affirm “Christmas” at all, because we might offend non-Christians.
If I did not believe the Christmas story, I would be totally offended by Christ and Christians. I would probably declare a war on overly-Christian forms of holiday. I would not want my celebration of my life and my friends, my choices with my own body, my spouse, my children, health, money, possessions, nation, religion, or whatever being guided by anything, or any deity other than myself. I wouldn’t want to be in public and hear,
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing
Christ came to declare a war:
The coming of Justice means something entirely offensive to the unjust.
Christ came so that although we die, we might have life.
The birth of a Savior means absolutely nothing to someone who can save themselves.
In order for Christ’s marriage to be pure, His bride must be pure.
Christianity is not tolerant. Neither is its Founder. Christians are called to be spiritual virgins, not religious prostitutes. We are a unique people, not swayed by popular mood or public opinion. We are little Christs–either we receive Him and are given the right to be called children or we do not receive Him and wage war against Him. There is no middle.
Christ came to redeem people to God. This is why we sing.
