Christmas Time is Here

I spent a good part of today watching numerous cartoons devoted to Christmas on Nickelodeon with my younger sister, Hannah. During this, I discovered something that has been annoying me a great deal this year. As I am sure you know, many liberals who are trying too hard to be politically correct are whining constantly about Christmas symbols in public places. They claim that Christmas is a religious holiday and want it removed entirely from any place someone who does not celebrate it could possibly see (this is despite their valiant, obviously public attempts to bring Hanukah and Kwanza cheer to all). Personally, I find their battle against Christmas absurd; I think their efforts could be wasted on other frivolous issues. This is because Christmas is now almost as secular as any holiday could be. Christmas, we are told, is about family togetherness, giving, celebration, etc. It’s about a happy, elderly man with a thyroid disorder who breaks into our houses via chimneys and delivers us free stuff while we slumber peacefully. It’s about helping those are less fortunate and working towards peace on Earth. It’s about adding a few extra inches to our waistline while stuffing oversized socks full of sugary treats and presents.

While all of those things are lovely (and I truly love Christmas traditions), Christmas is not a holiday that appeared without a reason. It is not celebrated because of humanly love, as various media always portray it to be. It is a celebration of one the Earth’s greatest moments; the birth of our Savior. Of course, most people in the US have heard this and know the Christian reason behind the holiday, but they fail to really grasp why we rejoice. We can all enjoy singing the familiar carols, but not because they are appealing in a traditional, nostalgic sort of way. Rather, we should use them to truly celebrate and remember all Christ did for us. We should not give gifts simply because doing so is kind or because we expect something in return. Our gifts should represent (in an extremely miniscule way) the ultimate gift Christ gave to all. We should receive gifts with gratitude and humility to remind us of the gift we receive from Christ. Rather than focusing on a myth about a man who delivers presents to all, we should remember why St. Nicholas gave to others in the first place. Our beautiful, well lit decorations should display our overflowing joy in Christ. We should have good will towards others because God wants this of us not because tradition calls for it.

The reason for Christmas goes well beyond warmth, cheer, compassion, and good tidings. In reality, the real meaning is much more amazing and magical than any of our traditions or myths.

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And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8-14, KJV)

My Best Friend's Salvation Story

When I was growing up I always struggled with my Christian beliefs, strong will, and complete lack of Christian friends. Washington is not exactly infamous for its fundamentalist Christian population, and the few friends I did make that were believers ended up being exceedingly judgmental, legalistic, and too ill-informed for me to grow overly close to them. They were the type of people that followed only what their parents told them and did not bother to research facts on their own. In high school, I loved my friends but I could never express my opinions about politics or religion without major backlash. Freshman year, however, I met one girl who would eventually become the greatest friend God could provide.

Becca and I met thanks to our shared love of Spongebob Squarepants and a random seating arrangement in our Earth science class. We connected immediately but Rebecca was opposite of myself in many ways. While I was considered one of the resident "Goths" of the school, Rebecca shopped at Abercrombie and was one of the girls my crowd had labeled "preps." When we first met she comically exclaimed, "I have never had a gothic friend before [insert high-pitched squeal here]!" She was blonde, somewhat giggly, and said slang words I hate such as "hella."This normally would have pushed me away (I went through an odd hate-everyone-who-wears-pink-and-smiles phase) but despite this, we spent the days in class giggling together until the teacher separated us. We exchanged screen names, but I never bothered talking to her online until the day she stopped showing up to class. She dropped out of school, for reasons unknown to me at the time, and afterwards, I started chatting with her occasionally.

Freshman year passed and I never saw Becca. She became a girl I barely knew who I exchanged pleasantries with sporadically. Nevertheless, God had bigger plans for our friendship than I had any idea of. I eventually began asking her if she planned on returning to high school. She responded in the affirmative but she was not quite sure which school she should choose. I told her to come back to Stadium, the school I attended, rather than the other school she was considering. She apparently knew more people who went elsewhere, but I felt I should attempt to convince her return to my school. I was not exactly sure why I was begging this girl to go to school with me. After all, we hardly knew each other and probably would never see one another again anyway. I did not actually think she would follow through with what I was asking of her. Why would she bother going to a school she had previously loathed simply because she had formed a few acquaintances there? I do not know what convinced her to choose Stadium, but choose it she did.

On the first day of sophomore year I extended an invitation for Becca to spend time with my friends before school. She awkwardly met everyone close to me and I pushed (probably too forcefully, knowing me) for her to become "one of us." She attended my sixteenth birthday party (where she got to know my friends a little too well thanks to a game of truth-or-dare), signed up for a few classes I was in, and become one of my closest friends. (Oddly, she actually became closer friends with my best friend at the time and I spent more time with another one of our friends than either of them.) She became a permanent member of my group of friends and one of the few people who understood my odd humor. We wrote "love" poems to one another (don't even try to understand), passed notes in class that made us laugh uncontrollably, and watched Disney movies (we then, of course, bugged everyone we knew with songs from Mulan and other movies).

Junior year she become the person I talked to most about my newly acquired boyfriend (whom I am still with today), and she put up with me gushing in a way that would probably make me punch want to punch myself if I said it now. We became better friends than we were before and I hung around with her as much as my strict parents would allow. There was, however, a problem with my friendship with Becca. It was the same issue I had faced with all my other friends. I was unable to talk with her about what I was truly passionate about (religion and politics, in a nutshell), and this frustrated me considerably. Of course, my inability to keep quiet enabled her to know my opinions anyway. I distinctly remember talking with her on a few occasions about Christianity and our views on politics. She grew up with a mother who was (and still is) into new age and eastern religions. Becca considered herself to be a Buddhist despite her low level of knowledge about that worldview, believed the stars and planets shaped who each of us are, and considered herself very liberal politically (even though, once again, she knew little about politics other than the usual clichés liberals often spout out). I, being new to trying to evangelize outside of a heated classroom debate, clumsily told her about Christ. My heart ached for my friend who, in these moments of vulnerability, seemed utterly lost and confused. She seemed to want to believe the good news I was preaching but could not bring herself to admit the world was full of lost sinners. She has always been quite caring and compassionate, and the notion that so many are on a path to hell was not one she wanted to hear.

A turning point came, however, when I had a discussion with Becca which pertained to the political issue I care the most about; abortion. Sadly, she was one of those people who drive me absolutely crazy. Her stance on the issue was the clichéd view that "I would never personally do it but the government doesn't have the right to stop someone who wants to." I was weary of constantly biting my tongue in order to be “tolerant,” and I asked her if she actually knew what abortion entailed. She was absolutely in the dark, so to speak, about the appallingly horrific procedures used, the millions of infants murdered in our country alone, and the effects of abortion on the mothers who "choose" to go through with it. Abortion was simply a "choice" without consequences. It was a way out of an undesired situation. The horror of it had been neatly glossed over by those loving liberal groups so familiar to the youth of today. She never once considered that the word "choice" was actually referring the "right" to choose whether or not one's child, another human being, lives or dies.

I remember her face during this discussion quite clearly. At first, she had the I-Know-Everything liberal look which conveyed her obvious superiority over the silly Christian girl who was trying to take away a constitution-promised right. Slowly, a look of stunned revulsion spread over her face as the facts began to register in her mind. I remember her exclaiming abortion was horrible, that she never knew, and that she was suddenly pro-life. Recently, she said to me, "when you told me [about abortion], it was literally like I'd come out of a spell. [It was] like I'd been punched in the stomach." This was a major step for Becca on her way to salvation through Jesus.

Her transformation was so phenomenal and quick in taking place that the circumstances surrounding the next few months is a blur to me. She was suddenly a self-proclaimed republican who was becoming more and more interested in the teachings of Jesus. She asked me hundreds of questions and started seeing the world outside of the liberal lies she had always been taught. She suddenly went from a lost teenager to a braver, happier, more confident person who had found purpose and meaning for her life. Eventually, the day came where she committed herself to Jesus and accepted his gift of salvation. The change after this day was even greater than before. She has always been intelligent, but she grew from the giggly, boy-crazy girl I first met to an incredibly smart Christian with a compassion for those who are lost. She developed an enthusiasm for evangelizing through writing (a passion I have myself) and together we combated the anti-Christian views enormously present in the community college we attended last year. Now, Becca is celebrating her first "re-birthday." Both of us have learned, grown, and changed for the better because of her finding the Truth. Personally, my joy over having a Christian friend is tremendous. Our friendship grew to such a level that now I am almost certain we share a brain. She has helped renew my faith in an indescribably tremendous way. Thanks to God's grace, I finally have the Christian fellowship I always desired and she has gained eternal life. The old saying, "Nothing changes someone like Jesus does" is absolutely true and can be seen in the way that Becca lives out her life today.



Happy re-birthday Becca!

New York Times

My darling friend Rebecca and I were recently discussing the New York Time’s complete inability to remain impartial no matter how frivolous the situation. The smallest incident is brilliantly pointed out by the NYT staff and connected flawlessly to Bush’s ever growing conspiracy against the American people. In an effort to do my part, I have written a brief article:

A black house cat in New Jersey was caught in a tree for six hours before being rescued by a fireman last Tuesday. The fireman had been in the area already, saving various white cats from their lofty tree-top positions before finally reaching the black cat. The poor cat’s distress was, of course, the fault of the Evil-Nazi-Bush-Regime, which will destroy us all.

Hilary Clinton gave a moving speech immediately after the incident, powerfully showing how Bush blatantly discriminates against poor little kitties. According to our Beloved Goddess, the United States might as well be a giant plantation where kitties are forced to pick cotton while the evil Conservative warlords whip their fluffy little backs.

Look for the published version in the next issue of the New York Times.

Stick to it this time!

I feel as though I really ought to start writing again about theology, politics, and other issues I find to be incredibly important. Thus, I started a new "blog" in order to perhaps actually stick with this idea. I am without essays to write, being out of school, and would rather compose something with a subject that interests me anyway.

Although my only reader may be Becca (if she even remembers to check), I will write anyway. After all, the practice will be good for me.