I had a friend ask me about how a Christian should handle the various holidays and what seems to be bad influence in each. They specifically mentioned Christmas and Easter, but I tried to answer in a way that would actually relate to something broader. I never get sick of questions from new Christians!!
Here’s what I said…
That’s a particularly good (question), too. You touch on the age-old problem of how do the followers of Christ ‘live’ in a world that is opposed to Christ, and yet do it in such a way so that 1) we won’t get sidetracked/derailed/brought back into old sins, and 2) we won’t distance ourselves so far from the world that they won’t hear what we have to say.
It’s been debated for awhile what parts of our ‘holidays’ we should keep, and what parts are taboo. I’ve been one of the guys who shunned participation in many of them, and I’ve been someone who enjoyed the holidays in their various forms. I’ve seen both sides, and I’m hesitant to take a definitive stance on what’s right and what’s wrong…but…
Christ should always be the centre of my life. Whatever I do, I need to keep Him in focus and in the forefront. For me, Easter is Jesus. Period. Christmas is Jesus. Period. Now, in the middle of this, is there anything wrong with a chocolate bunny or mistletoe?? I don’t think so. I enjoy it as part of the holiday; I just don’t let it become the focus, and I work hard to communicate my belief that these things are secondary customs, not the real reason for the holiday.
Christmas and Easter. Those are the biggies in terms of holidays. Halloween is a different cat (unintentional pun). I try to intentionally redeem the day for Jesus. Instead of pranking people and scaring them, I want to point them to Jesus. I’ve given out cartoon tracts WITH Halloween candy before (but we’re not going to do that this year). I’ve planned and hosted ‘Bible Parties’ on the 31st. Not this year. We are definite and determined that our kids understand that it’s not a night for fear and such, it’s a night for laughs and FREE CANDY! Have I upset people with this approach? Certainly. There are people who think Christians should have nothing to do with Halloween, and that my activities involve me in it’s evil connections. For me, that’s a stretch…
You see, I also take my kids shopping at the mall. There are lingerie stores in the mall. There are advertisements ad posters in the mall that clearly communicate immorality to everyone passing by. Does that make the entire mall evil? Should we boycott the mall?? Hundreds of men (young and old) walk by La Senza or Abercrombie & Fitch and allow lust to be stirred in their minds. Does this mean there is nothing good in the mall? (Sorry, Jared. Subway is not allowed for me anymore. But Burger King stands alone, not connected to the mall, so I can go there for a quad-stacker, and glorify God with my cholesterol intake. Burp. Praise the Lord!)
Every Sunday afternoon restaurants all over Moncton are filled with followers of Christ, enjoying a (hopefully) wonderful meal with their families and friends. Some of those restaurants serve alcohol. Does that make those places evil? Christians buy gasoline on Sunday at Convenience stores where cigarettes are sold and lottery tickets are purchased. Is it ungodly for a Christian to associate with such a place? Should we stop buying gas?
I think that you can steer clear from a lot of turmoil by making the decision to put Jesus in the forefront of everything you do. Sincerely, I mean really ask Him what He wants you to do in a given situation, and I’m naive enough to think that He’ll tell you. Let the Word of God guide you. What’s plain in Scripture, don’t squabble over. What God has left unsaid, don’t put words in His mouth.
Enjoy the holidays. Bless your family. Point them to Jesus. And rejoice in the life He has given you…
duane collicott 