My *Personal Exodus from Christmas* Story

This past weekend I went to the local library here to see the movie matinee of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. I felt like I was back in church again. And seeing the Christian Christmas story told in that way, left me with some mixed emotions.

I felt a little nostalgic remembering all the different Christmas pageants & programs I had participated in over the years, both as a child and as an adult.

However, for the past fifteen years, I have intentionally avoided everything Christmas-related (save a few of my favorite holiday movies, such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Die Hard”). And I was happy to do so.

This year — and more specifically this past weekend, was my first step back into that world.

And this movie got me thinking more about the holiday again — and why I don’t celebrate it anymore.

My Christmas Story-Telling & Celebration Experience

In most of the Christmas pageants I participated in (over the course of 40 years), I pretty much only ever portrayed angels or sang in a choir. (Truth be told, most of the programs I participated in were cantatas.)

My last involvement in telling the Christmas story was in 2009 (as a choir member). My children, ages 5 and 4, portrayed angels with the rest of their Sunday School classes. I faintly recall them walking down the aisle in their little angel costumes. They were so cute. 🙂

However, I clearly remember that year, I was pretty “bah-humbug!” about the whole Christmas season.

Bah Humbug!

I had come to despise the Christmas season in general because of all the feigned cheer & obligatory gift-giving that came with it. Because let’s face it, we don’t always feel merry & bright. And for some, the season brings a lot of sadness.

Not everyone has family around them. And not everyone particularly enjoys being around their family — especially under such stressful conditions, which the holiday season can bring.

And the commercialism & calls for charitable contributions can get to be a bit much. Particularly, when there’s not enough money to spare.

And then, there’s the whole religious aspect to it.

Maintaining My Focus on the Reason for the Season

For years, I tried to keep my focus on the “reason for the season”, which I believed to be the birth of Jesus Christ. And I was happy to do it.

I was taught that Jesus was to become the Savior of all mankind. Therefore, I thought we all had a reason to celebrate his birth. (I mean, Christmas without Christ was x-mas, and what’s so merry about that?)

Even Linus from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special understood what Christmas was all about.

But even still, Christmas can be a very depressing time of year for many people.

And I started feeling like Christianity didn’t have much to offer to those who were experiencing anything less than a joyous state.

Christianity’s Answer to Depression During the Christmas Season

It seemed to me that we, as Christians, only had the Christmas story to offer those experiencing depression around the holidays. And that offer generally involved saying something along the lines of this:

Come on out to our church’s Christmas pageant/cantata/play/program.

See all the kids in their cute little costumes and watch them pantomime the Christmas story.

Hear the beautiful Christmas music being sung by our soloists/choir and played by our pianist/organist and accompanying orchestra/band [or some professional soundtrack].

Listen to the Christmas story being told as we tell you why Jesus is the greatest thing ever [and that you should be joyful about it].

Then before you go [back to your lonely dismal state of being], snag yourself a plateful of Christmas cookies & other sweet treats, along with a cup of hot cocoa/coffee/tea/cider. And meet a bunch of people [who will say they’re so glad you came and will invite you to come back next Sunday — but will likely never talk to you again unless you show up to their church again].

And in 2009, that didn’t work for me anymore. So, I found myself saying, “Bah Humbug!” to it all.

Then, the following year, I started doubting Christmas in religious circles was even truly about Christ.

In Christianity is Christmas Really About Christ?

Around 2010, I began to hear about there being pagan roots to Christianity, and more specifically, to the celebration of Christmas.

And I started to question the fascination of so many Christians with erecting & decorating an evergreen tree and laying gifts (or treasures) at its feet. And this was in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ? That tradition made no sense to me.

[ENTER the Christmas Tree]

Sure, many Christians included some form of nativity scene with their Christmas decor. They did so because it depicted the birth of Jesus Christ taught in Christianity. But why include the Christmas Tree?

Our church even had one situated at the front of their sanctuary. And I thought, what does the Christmas Tree have to do with Christ?

Then, I read Jeremiah 10.

[ENTER the Bible]

² Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. ³ For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. ⁴ They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. ⁵ They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. (Jeremiah 10:2-5)

I understood this passage was speaking of the making of an idol and not specifically a Christmas tree. But I could see how the Christmas tree could essentially be an idol, because many of my devout Christian loved ones refused to consider celebrating Christmas without one. I found that baffling.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t condemn anyone for simply putting up & donning a Christmas tree, because I don’t believe that necessarily equates to idolatry. I realize for many, the act of doing so is just a feel-good or family tradition.

But when I saw those who were close to me emphatically claiming Jesus to be the reason for the season and then clinging so fiercely to their decked-out tree after I pointed out Jeremiah 10 to them, I couldn’t believe it.

Pointing to Jeremiah 10:2-5, I would ask them, “If God told you to ditch the tree, would you do it?” And most (if not all) of the ones I asked responded, “But that’s not what it means to me”.

Then, when I pressed them saying, “But what if He did tell you to do that, would you do it?”, they just got mad at me and refused to answer. And that response spoke volumes to me.

At that time, I personally felt convicted against the practice and chose not to put up a tree anymore.

[Christmas Tree moves OFFSTAGE]

For a while thereafter the mere sight of decorated Christmas trees in public spaces really bothered me. I couldn’t help but think, what does the Creator think about all of this?

Every year people chop down (& ultimately kill) perfectly sound evergreen trees just so they can prop them up and decorate them for a brief period, only to discard them shortly thereafter.

But I acknowledge Christmas trees are a part of the culture all around me. So, I just choose to not pay much attention to them.

Soon after my personal ban on Christmas trees, I began to have doubts about the traditional nativity scene/story.

[ENTER The Traditional Christmas Nativity Scene/Story]

In the year 2010 I began to pay a lot more attention to the Bible — reading & studying it like I had never done before. As a result, I saw things I never saw before.

One of those things was the body of discrepancies between the traditional nativity story and the two Bible accounts (of Matthew & Luke) surrounding Jesus’ birth.

It became clear to me that two different birth accounts (by two different sources) were melded together. And a dash of deceit (the Virgin Birth doctrine) was incorporated into the narrative to produce the nativity scene/story we have today.

And once I realized what the Bible really said concerning the nature of Jesus & what it meant for him to be Christ the Lord, that portrait/narrative disgusted me.

Why? Because the popularized Christmas story disguised the truth of what the Bible said, and it continues to do so.

I saw that narrative was responsible for leading the masses into believing Jesus was begotten without a biological father. Therefore, it distorted the rest of the story surrounding Jesus and his role in the grander story of the Bible.

As a result of this discovery, I no longer believed the Jesus of the Bible was the reason for the season. So, there went that notion.

Bah, Humbug! Again

And that concludes my personal exodus from Christmas story.

Navigating the Christmas Season Today

Thankfully, I’ve learned to navigate through the Christmas holiday season with love, joy, peace, comfort and hope. But my basis for those things has nothing to do with a propped up, decked-out evergreen sitting in my living room or a baby lying in a manger underneath some star in Bethlehem.

I stopped focusing on who might not love or care about me, which is what I’ve found tends to get me down during the Christmas season. And I started to focus on who I love & care about and look for ways to demonstrate that love & care for them.

I typically find joy in the season avoiding all the Christmas-related festivities and doing whatever comes naturally.

This typically involves slowing down & focusing on staying warm, doing what’s essential to keep things going in my world, and communicating with loved ones.

Thankfully, these things mostly take place inside my home. And then I rest — a lot.

And if I play my cards right when I’m working, I am able to rest in peace.

In my resting, I do a lot of thinking, planning, designing, writing, blogging and talking with those close to me. And I do a lot of reading, watching and listening to whatever interests me. And of course, I generally do a lot of sleeping.

I take comfort in knowing there are seasons in life of:

• Waking, working & experiencing new/fresh life,
• Basking, walking & interacting in the fullness of life,
• Winding down, preparing to rest while appreciating the beauty of life, and
• Resting & sleeping, dreaming & planning for the life that is to come.

And these seasons are changing and predictable.

I know the season I’m in now, and I know what comes next. And that’s comforting to me because I can prepare for what comes next and appreciate each season as it comes. I want to make the most of each one, knowing they are all temporary and fleeting.

And I find hope in knowing I have a part to play in this life. I can do meaningful work that will make me a better person and the world I live in a better place. And I can establish, maintain, mend & develop meaningful relationships in the process.

What About You?

Do you celebrate Christmas? If not, what do you do this time of year? And if so, what does Christmas mean to you, and what do you to celebrate it? Tell me about it in the comments below. 🙂