Every year we hear cries of panic from the usual suspects as they get all discombobulated over the secularization of Christmas (as though that's something new). They perceive the use of "Happy Holidays" to be a cold slap in the face of their dearly beloved "Merry Christmas." But have you ever considered that, rather than an offense, it might actually be a step in the right direction?
Richard Beck, in an excellent post at Experimental Theology, suggests that it is more appropriate and even preferable for our commercialized and secularized culture to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Maybe we can leverage this shift and get the retail world to give Christmas back to the church. Beck writes:
I think "Happy Holidays" is a way to be more hospitable and neighborly in a diverse culture. But tolerance isn't the main reason I'm okay with the shift to "Happy Holidays."
Again, the shift to "Happy Holidays" has mainly been seen in the retail world, as a way to not offend buying customers. Which means, for me at least, I don't really care what you say to me when I buy an Xbox. In fact, theologically speaking, "Happy Holidays" is a lot better than "Merry Christmas."
Why?
Well, if you tack "Merry Christmas" onto my Xbox I think that might be blasphemy.
I'm pretty sure it is blasphemy.
It's blasphemous to post "Merry Christmas" all through a shopping mall. It's blasphemous to slap the name of Jesus on all the Xboxs, Playstations, iPhones, and High-Def TVs. "Happy Holidays," while still not great given that I don't like the word "holy" being involved, is much better than "Merry Christmas."
...let Babylon--in marketplace and nation--greet you with "Happy Holidays." Let "Merry Christmas" be for the church. That helps clarify things. As Stanley Hauerwas provocatively said, the first task of the church is to make the world the world.
Let Babylon be Babylon.READ THE FULL BLOG POST
Let Babylon say "Happy Holidays."
Valid. Provocative. I like it.
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