Quote from Forum Archives on December 5, 2005, 11:33 am

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

ADVENT 2005 #1/5

 

HOW TO RESPOND TO A GRINCH

December 4, 2005

 

Text: James 3:13-18

 

 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of the many classic Dr. Seuss stories. The poem begins:

Every Who Down in Who-ville

Liked Christmas a lot...

But the Grinch,

Who lived just north of Who-ville,

Did NOT!

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!

Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.

It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.

It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think that the most likely reason of all

May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

(From How The Grinch Stole Christmas © 1957 by Dr. Seuss)

 

From the perspective of Christian doctrine and testimony, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is not spiritual literature. From the perspective of compassion and love and the emotional connection of Christmas, this Dr. Seuss poem does contain some spiritual applications, which has helped make it a favorite over the years.

With the beginning of Advent, I get the sense that many Christians in America are beginning to think that we are getting “grinched.” I have read and heard quite a few comments about various attempts to remove the very word “Christmas” from Christmas. Retailers are reportedly switching over to the use of “happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” Television ads wish us “holiday cheer” instead of “Christmas cheer.” Syndicated author Jeff Jacoby writes, “When a commotion erupted over the fact that the 48-foot white spruce installed on the Boston Common -- an annual gift from the people of Nova Scotia -- is identified on Boston's official website as a ‘holiday tree,’ the city's commissioner of parks and recreation sided firmly with the critics. ‘This is a Christmas tree,’ Antonia Pollak declared. ‘It's definitely a Christmas tree...’ And so it begins again -- the annual effort to neuter Christmas, to insist in the name of ‘inclusiveness’ and ‘sensitivity’ that a Christian holiday celebrated by something like 90 percent of Americans not be called by its proper name or referred to in religious terms. We all know the drill by now. Instead of ‘Merry Christmas,’ store clerks wish you a "happy holiday." Schools close for winter break. Your office throws a holiday party.” (Jeff Jacoby, “De-Christmasing Christmas,” Dec. 2, 2005) And going quite a few steps further, most of you are probably aware that U.S. Federal Judge David F. Hamilton issued a permanent injunction against opening the sessions of the Indiana State House of Representatives’ Assembly with sectarian prayer. Specifically, he writes in his conclusion that, “All of us who have inherited the liberties of the religion clauses of the First Amendment continue to elaborate on their meaning and application one case at a time. In this case, for the reasons set forth above, plaintiffs are entitled to a permanent injunction against the Speaker in his official capacity barring him from permitting sectarian prayer as part of the official proceedings of the Indiana House of Representatives. If the Speaker chooses to continue any form of legislative prayer, he shall advise persons offering such a prayer (a) that it must be nonsectarian and must not be used to proselytize or advance any one faith or belief or to disparage any other faith or belief, and (b) that they should refrain from using Christ’s name or title or any other denominational appeal.” Yeah, the title holders of this expansive, worldwide holiday season known as Christmas are getting grinched.

All of this leads to a relevant question: how do we respond to a grinch? In other words, how do we respond to all of these intentional attacks upon the expression of the Christian faith in the public arena? To help answer this, we have read from James 3:13-18 this morning. James is not a source for the traditional Christmas story. It is, however, a source of instruction for followers of the one about whom the Christmas story is written.

Specifically, we are instructed in this manner: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom… But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”

These are some of those verses which could lead one to believe that Christians are never to fight back about anything; that we are always to come across as pacifist and just accept whatever happens to us. We are to just stand aside and let the grinches run amuck. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have many avenues of recourse before us. Nevertheless, it does us good to consider what James, representing all the New Testament authors this morning since they all wrote similar instructions along the way, has to tell us concerning our actions.

First, remember that in everything we do, God is to be honored and receive honor. In 1 Peter 4:10-11, Peter reminds us, “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” Even if our intent is to “put the Christ back in Christmas,” if we go about things in a way that is mean-spirited, malicious, and cruel, then we have not honored God; nor have we helped anyone else honor God. Returning to James, he clearly warns that “…where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

Second, Christians in America today do have recourse to redress the attacks we are suffering. We live in a land where we enjoy representative and participatory government. The Apostles had no such thing. For the most part, their government did not have to recognize the rights of anyone not actually a Roman citizen. The Apostles lived in and ministered to people living in occupied territories. They were blessed in that the Roman Empire treated non-Roman citizens in a largely benign manner. But that was not always the case. When Christians or Jews or any other segment of the population were persecuted, there was no recourse. There was no representation to whom they could turn to address their wrongs. Even though this was the case, Peter was led to write in 1 Peter 2:13-14, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”

This is not a call to blind submission, though. In those instances where the institution of men attempts to usurp the authority of God, then Christians have a right and a duty to submit to God and not to man. During times of persecution within the Roman Empire, this meant that Christians refused to denounce their belief in Christ, going, instead, to their death.

In our day, it is not quite so drastic… yet. We have organizations such as the Alliance Defense Fund and the Indiana Family Institute, both participating in the Indiana case as friends of the court supporting House Speaker Bosma’s prayer practices. Cases can, and should, be argued in court. Besides all of this, technically it is the citizens of this land who are the government. We are that “authority instituted among men;” therefore, we have both the right and responsibility to make our faith heard in the public arena. So letters, phone calls, and e-mail messages of encouragement and support to state Representatives who are in favor of challenging this injunction and other rulings aimed at reducing Christian presence across our land are always appropriate ways of taking action.

Third, we should act with mercy, compassion, and wisdom at the local level. If we believe that we should say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays,” then politely and cheerfully say “Merry Christmas.” I don’t know what official policies retail businesses are imposing upon their employees. I don’t know if employees of certain stores are not supposed to wish anyone a “Merry Christmas.” But they cannot stop me from saying it. In fact, I made a purchase at Target last week where the clerk wished me a “Happy Holiday.” Without even thinking about it - no political debate racing around my mind - I responded with “Merry Christmas.” That’s just what I always say, so my response was one of habit and reflex. The clerk then returned a “Merry Christmas” that sounded more cheerful than her previous greeting. So maybe the clerks in some stores can say “Merry Christmas” only if the customer does; I don’t know. Maybe many of those clerks want to be able to say “Merry Christmas,” so take the lead by wishing them a “Merry Christmas.”

As I said earlier, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is not Christian literature. But it does contain this bit of Christian truth. After stealing the Who’s Christmas presents, trees, dinners, stockings, and everything else that he thought made up Christmas joy, the Grinch listened expectantly for the results of his mean work:

"They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!

"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two

"Then the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!"

"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch,

"That I simply must hear!"

So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand to his ear.

And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.

It started in low. Then it started to grow...

But the sound wasn't sad!

Why, this sound sounded merry!

It couldn't be so!

But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Who-ville!

The Grinch popped his eyes!

Then he shook!

What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,

Was singing! Without any presents at all!

He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!

IT CAME!

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?

It came without ribbons! It came without tags!

"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

 

We Christians know very well that Christmas means a lot more than what “comes from a store.” So let us respond to the grinches we face with the Christmas good news message in our hearts and on our minds. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom… But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”

Pastor Chuck Layne

First Baptist Church

Bunker Hill, IN

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