Winterval

Have a read of this.

And check out this picture - where do you even start???
(Looks like 'ole Santa's got lumbered with the babysitting, where's everyone else? And is that Noah's dove in the rafters - must be over 2000 years old??)

Now, I am no fan of Christmas (and I do almost zero shopping or preparing or arranging...). I am a huge fan of Christ though!

I won't rehearse here all the stuff about commercialisation and presents and money and whatsitallaboutanyway etc.; I'm sure we're familiar with all that.

The other day I remembered all the de-Christing discussions that are happening around the country. When I first read the article linked above I initially reacted with pique but also recognised a contradiction inside me. Do I really want to yoke Jesus with this festival?

I actually want a Christmas about Christ.
"Christmas", however for most people, has become largely dissociated from Christ, from Jesus.

So, what would be so bad about separating the two?

We may be living in a lip-service "Christian" country, but we're not living in a "Believer" country are we? Significant difference!

So, we could have Winterval (or Presentval or whatever): presents, lights, Santa, reindeer, trees, mistletoe etc, and as a Community of Believers we could do our own thing, whatever that may be.

Jesus was a challenge wasn't he? He wasn't crucified for being too nice. He presented people with a choice: carry on as you are or repent (change your mind) and live differently from now on. I think people respond much more to a clear choice and a challenge than a form of weak Christianity that says, "Become a Christian and stay the same." What's the point of that?

And let's not fail to notice that "Christmas" is actually pronounced "Krismas" anyway, not "Christ-mas".


So, whaddayathink?