Advent 2022: Tuesday, December 20

December 20, 2022

Is Christmas Pagan?

I said, “Merry Christmas!” and he replied “Did you know Christmas is based on pagan traditions?!” ‘Huh, a strange way to say hello.” I said to myself. It is a criticism I have often heard leveled against Christmas and John Lovell, who I often listen to, had this to say, “They are actually right. But hilariously, they miss the entire point of Christmas. Jesus came to rescue a fallen and broken world by redeeming it. Similarly, Jesus came and took a fallen day and redeemed it for a better one in the same way that he comes and rescues us as fallen and redeems us.” Jesus has always been about redemption. He takes us as rubble and rebuilds us from the ground up. To bring peace to those on whom his favor rests, choosing to live in flesh among us and to die in our place, so that we could be reconciled to God. Now that's good news if I have ever heard it! I used to find that criticism irritating but from now on I want to use it as a reminder of God's redemption for us. So, keep saying Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas to you all! 

Arel Svenson, tech guru