I do a lot of listening. Perhaps more than most people realize. Most people see me talking but you’d be surprised the things I can hear. One of the comments that echoes around this time of year is a complaint of sorts. Often in Christian circles people will complain about the greetings of the season. Should people say Merry Christmas? Or is it more appropriate to say Happy Holidays?

Another complaint that circles this time of year is the complaint that Christmas is too commercialized. Really? Well, I’m sure no one else noticed that one. Sorry for the cynicism there. The trouble with Christmas in the public square isn’t that it’s too commercialized, the problem is that we Christian folk have shut our mouths about its real meaning. So what if your neighbor has a blowup Santa surrounded by tons of reindeer in his front lawn. Who cares if your friend’s house looks like something out of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation? Does it really matter?

Whether the world greets you with a generic and all-inclusive happy holidays or your neighbor is all about the big guy in the red suit you really shouldn’t be all that surprised! Why does it shock us that the world clings to this image of generosity? What other image of love and selfless giving do they have to model? Unfortunately they really don’t have a lot of other options.

I know what you’re thinking, but what about all that bible stuff? What about the selfless giving of Jesus for all of humanity? What about it? I mean who is showing it to them? Better yet, when we do show people around us the message of Christmas love, hope, peace and joy what does it look like? Often our depiction of the real meaning of Christmas is to kill Santa and his reindeer and chastise the greeters at our local Wal-mart.

Why can’t we let the two stand side by side? Jesus’ own words, in what has been called the High Priestly prayer, tell us to be in the world but not of the world. Nowhere did he ever say to kill the traditions of humanity. He didn’t even do that with the people of his day, and boy did they ever have things messed up! He simply loved them where they were and walked with them to show them how things should be.

What if we did that this Christmas? What if, instead of pulling out our shotgun and killing Santa and Rudolf, we showed people why we celebrate Christmas? In our house Santa isn’t a huge deal but Christmas is. We don’t pile presents around the tree and say their from Santa. But Santa does visit. We do generously lavish one another with gifts during Christmas. The purpose is simply to act as a reminder that this one day we splurge on gift giving so that throughout the year can we be reminded of the daily blessings we take for granted. Each time I put on that new shirt or play that new video game, I want to be reminded of the person that loves me and cares for me.

So this year if you hear someone say Happy Holidays don’t give them a dirty look or tell them they’re wrong. Just reply with your greeting of Christmas. When your neighbor’s Santa falls in the cold, blustery wind go help her put it back up. There’s nothing wrong with secular things as long as we use them as tools to show people the greater meaning.

May the gifts from Santa this Christmas remind you of the greatest gift of all. May the happiness of this holiday season point you to the one born to make a simple holiday truly a holy-day.

Merry Christmas!