Christ in Christmas?

I grew up hearing annually the complaints of other Christians about the Christ being taken out of Christmas...whether it was from people's (misinformed) objections to the use of the word 'Xmas' or myths being spread about the whole nation apparently replacing 'Christmas' with the term 'Winterval' (something which was in fact one campaign run by the Birmingham City Council in 1998).

After some reflection I've decided to argue that Christ is still very much present in Christmas in 2010 and that He shall continue to be.

It is of course true that Christmas is heavily commercialised (is it really necessary to sell Christmas cards in September?) and that dinners and snowmen and more the emblems of Christmas than a manger or wise men for many people. The approach I'm going to take will not be to deny this, but instead to reconsider what we mean by Christ being in Christmas.

Presents are one of my favourite parts of Christmas. I love that feeling of getting something you want - and perhaps even more that feeling of someone opening your present and their face lighting up. There is something truly satisfying in knowing you've made a person happy, helped them in some way, given them something they desired.

Some Christians might protest that presents are a commercial tradition and embody society's materialistic culture. However, one must not forget that presents originate from the tradition which says that Magi from the East came and brought gifts to the newborn baby Jesus. Of course, that isn't the thought in everyone's mind when they're giving presents - and I'm not going to try suggesting otherwise. But the fact remains that, for whatever reason, this tradition has continued.

Furthermore, giving presents is still a shift away from the individualistic culture we seem to have. I believe it is more than just a product of materialism; I believe it is a simple practice that represents people's inherent love, fondness of others and joy in the company of others. A lyric from Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World for me encapsulates this idea:

'I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do -
They're really saying I love you'

This act beyond shaking hands for me is this way of people expressing their gratitude for one another - a thankyou for friendship, or for the joy they have brought as a parent, child, partner, mentor.

Let it not be forgotten also that many people also give gifts through charities, help the homeless and work in soup kitchens, and take in people who would otherwise be alone at Christmas.

Why is this significant? Because this was the kind of attitude that Christ preached and lived by. Feeding the hungry, helping the needy, showing love to others - even one's enemies. (Here's where I also recall that Christmas is often a time of reconciliation.) Christ is not just present when we sing carols or attend Christmas church services. He is also present wherever people show love to others - be they relatives, friends, enemies or total strangers.

So, in summary - I'm not despairing just yet. Commercialisation and materialism may seem to be the dominating forces - but let us not forget two things: firstly, God is not bound by statistics. There is surely meaning in every case where an individual person who believes that Christ is central to Christmas; and secondly, that Christ is present not just in carols and churches, but in homes where presents are exchanged, in soup kitchens where the hungry are fed and where acts of charity and forgiveness and reconciliation abound.