What I decided on Christmas
Josimar Salum (2009)
It is true that there is no mention in the New Testament of the celebration of Christmas among disciples... nor is there any prohibition.
"Let no one therefore judge you by eating, or by drinking, or by the feast days, or the new moon, or the sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ" (Colossians 2: 16-17).
Many evangelicals no longer give gifts to family and friends because they believe the "exchange of gifts on this date means that to worship a pagan god, in which Nordic ritual demands that they go to the mountains at dawn and weep for sacrifices there. This ritual would then be followed by waiting for the first rays of the morning sun and giving each other gifts in worship, saying, "May you never forget the gods over us." "The gift would symbolize the eternity of the covenant, to summon the blessing of the gods. Tertullian, a Catholic theologian, said that he could not compromise with this lie, claiming the sun could never be god, because the God of Christians was the One who created the sun."
What disciple of Jesus who in his right mind would give a gift to his son as if he were worshiping the sun?
What power does this myth have in imposing a meaning on my gesture of giving a gift as if it had worshiped some divinity?
It would be as if visiting the Vatican would make me a devotee of "Mary", taking a bath in the Ganges River would make me a practitioner of Hinduism or if I visited Mecca, I would automatically become a Muslim.
It does not hurt, in spite of the mercantile frenzy of the stores, to enjoy the cultural nuances of Christmas, that is, its aspects and the faint differences between them, as long as I do not become part of the unfruitful works of darkness that are avarice, idolatry, impurity, and covetousness. (See Ephesians 5)
Ah! This can occur at any time of year with no date to celebrate! Is not it?
How bad or what sin is there to admire at Christmas time the creativity of houses adorned with white, red and blue lights where they do; in the midst of the heat of the Africa Decembers to imagine the snow while looking at the white cotton in the Christmas trees and on the floor or giving and receiving gifts without it being an act of worship to some strange god?
For the parents, the disciples of Jesus who give gifts to their children, the act of giving has nothing to do with this Nordic practice, nor do they know what this means!
If you do not want to celebrate Christmas, it's up to you. It is celebrated with the great significance that God became flesh and dwelt in and among us, doing well. Atheists want to put an end to Christmas and anything that represents any form of Christian tradition in society and culture, and unfortunately, many Christians want to do the same! #ASONE
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