Atheists and the Holy Spirit of Christmas

Santa by Bartek Zielinski (freeimages.com)

Santa by Bartek Zielinski (freeimages.com)

Featured on NewEvangelizers.com

Most Christians are really atheists who feel trapped in their family’s religion. They need not be Christian to enjoy the holiday season.

This cynical explanation is how David Silverman, president of American Atheists, rationalized the giant billboard in Times Square. Images of Santa and Jesus encourage the huge crowd of shoppers to “Keep the Merry!” (Santa) and “Dump the Myth!” (Jesus).

As a Christian, are you truly an atheist trapped in your family’s religious culture? Do you attend services and adhere to family customs because of habit, because you are expected to do so?

Jesus is the Answer

If so, then you are missing the second point: Jesus is the answer. 

No, you need not be a Christian to enjoy the season, in a secular way. Santa Claus inspires the Spirit of Giving – and the spirit of spending, as the retailers well know!  He brings excitement into the season.  But the Santa Claus magic doesn’t last. The gifts and trappings of Christmas give you temporary joy, but a January letdown.

During a family celebration many years ago, our Christmas dessert was a birthday cake for Baby Jesus. The rich Indian Earth cake was baked in a Bundt pan, which has a large opening in the center. I sprinkled the cake with powdered sugar, placed a small manger scene over the opening with a candle behind it, and lit the candle,

As the children gathered to sing “Happy Birthday,” one relative asked, “Whose birthday is it?”  This relative loved Christmas celebrating, eating, caroling and especially opening gifts. It was an emotional high for her. But a few days later she was back to dull normal.  Her Christmas memory bank was updated with this year’s event just before it faded into a collage of Christmases past, leaving her heart and her life unchanged.

Santa Clauss season

You need not be a Christian to enjoy the Santa Claus season. But it’s a very short season compared to what Jesus brought us for the rest of the year and into eternity. Christians celebrate the miracle of the Incarnation in which Christ comes among us. He is born in our hearts as our Savior.

Christians possess the Spirit behind all the food, gifts, caroling, family time and partying. The Holy Spirit of Christmas in their hearts isn’t limited to one week of surface revelry.  Like the powdered sugar on the Indian Earth cake, it will all melt into the background of a photo on a Facebook page.

The Holy Spirit of Christmas

The Holy Spirit of Christmas is all around us. It’s waiting for us to invite Our Savior in. Not just into our family room, our office party and our caroling service. He’s waiting to come fully into our hearts so that we don’t pack away the Holy Spirit of Christmas along with the tree and the lights. 

We don’t throw the Holy Spirit of Christmas out with the wrapping paper and ribbon. We keep it in our hearts. And we nurture it by protecting it from secular assaults that declare it a myth. It shines from within us the other 51 weeks of the year.

Don’t be trapped in your family’s expectations. Make the Holy Spirit of Christmas your own heart-deep year-round celebration of God’s unrelenting love for you. He sacrificed his Son to give you love, salvation and life everlasting. Rejoice! For yours is the kingdom of God!

How will you celebrate the birth of your Saviour deep in your heart so it will last?

© 2012, revised 2017 Nancy HC Ward

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Nancy Ward

Nancy Ward writes about conversion, Christian community, and Catholicism. After earning a journalism degree, she worked for the Diocese of Dallas newspaper and the Archbishop Sheen Center for Evangelization, then began her own editing service. She’s a regular contributor to CatholicMom.com, SpiritualDirection.com, CatholicWritersGuild.com, NewEvangelizers.com and a contributing author to The Catholic Mom’s Prayer Companion. Now, through her Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story: Tools, Tips, and Testimonies workshops, retreats, book, and DVD, she shares her conversion story at Catholic parishes and conferences, equipping others to share their own stories.

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