Holidays

There is always a flurry of activity around the holidays to display one’s religious affiliation, it seems.  Everyone wants to have statements of their faith in the town square.  And why not?  That is, so long as everyone has the opportunity to display their decor, so that the governmental body involved is not charged with having preference for one over another.  Truth be told, perhaps not everyone wants to have their faith spread out for the town to see.

In any case, it seems to become a bone of contention, and people are asked to stand up for their faith, to prove themselves as not being ashamed of what they believe in.  It’s something that is even popular on Facebook, to declare your trust in the Savior.  But, my friends, the Holy Bible says that God will try the hearts and reins, not Facebook and our peers. God, being omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, knows whatever goes on in our hearts and minds, that we have no need of these outward declarations.  These things become a matter of our peers judging our faith, and that is something that we have been warned against doing.

So when someone tells you to say, “Merry Christmas” as opposed to “Happy Holidays,” what do you say?  I like to honor all the beliefs of all people.  While not everyone celebrates a holiday this time of year, many do, and it is not only polite to acknowledge them, it is appropriate to recognize that we have freedom of religion in this country, and because we do, we should act like it in an honorable way. 

For those who prefer to declare their own beliefs, and say, “Merry Christmas,” because in their hearts, Christ is superior to everything else, I say, very well.  But I also request that in so doing, that you don’t condemn others in their beliefs.

May you be richly blessed.