Happy holidays!

Chalk me up as someone not too overly dismayed over the use of “Happy Holidays”, a verbal usage trend that that is hardly days, but decades old.

Far more provocative was this excerpt from Bush comments at that lighting of the National Christmas tree:

“Each year, we gather here to celebrate the season of hope and joy – and to remember the story of one humble life that lifted the sights of humanity. Santa, thanks for coming.
Glad you made it.”

Those fulminating over “Happy Holidays” went a little mute on this one – apparently we are talking political and religious conservatives here – over the Bush remarks and the lack of anything Jesus or Christ honoring on the White House Christmas card.

The American Family Association does have a point, however. It is a bit disconcerting that Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville, Wisconsin recently sponsored a “Winter Program" featuring a secularized version of "Silent Night":

Cold in the night, no one in sight;
Winter winds whirl and bite.
How I wish I were happy and warm,
Safe with my family out of the storm.

"At the same time the school has changed the religious songs to secular," says a now involved lawyer, "their so-called 'Winter Program' has included decorating classrooms with Santa Claus, Kwanzaa, menorahs, and even Labafana -- a term I'd not even heard of until this year." Labafana, he says, is "apparently a Christmas witch." (link here)

Unquestionably, instances like these are dismaying. But let’s face it, Labafana, “Happy Holidays”, and Santa replacing Jesus are hardly 2005 issues. This sort of thing has been going on for years in the public circle. And while we can blame the rabid secularists and the liberal behind every bush, we may as well admit it – it is the fault of evangelicalism – it is our fault.

While many of our churches refuse to have services this Christmas Sunday, we might want to reflect on how many of us have shared Christ with a friend or associate in the last month. Or, how many of us compassionately reached out to the hungry, the poor, the disenfranchised, the unborn, the imprisoned, the elderly this week (something Jesus apparently thought a requirement of those heaven-bound cf. Mt. 25:31-46) How many of us have called legislators to impact family-friendly (or unfriendly) legislation at our state capitols or in Congress? How many of us have given above our church tithe (if we even do that) to causes that our on the cutting edge of the culture wars in this nation.

Et cetera.

The truth is, we too often love to tackle “Happy Holiday” type issues because in all likelihood it obfuscates the truth of our lives. We are evangelicals without evangelism, Christians without compassion, saints without sanctifying presence, holy ones without an urge to spread wholesomeness.

It is our fault, this secularization of culture. Let us be about changing that root cause before intensifying our efforts against “Holiday” trees.