To Tree or Not to Tree

To Tree or Not to Tree, That is the Question.

Probably the hottest subject amongst religious people in America at this time of the year is the pressure the minority is putting on all forms of religious expression connected with Christmas. Many businesses are forbidding their employees to say “merry Christmas”, banks are not allowing decorations that have religious connotations and schools are outlawing the singing of Christmas carols. Some shopping centers are allowing trees as long as it is called a “holiday tree” and not a “Christmas Tree”.

The religious community is responding with petitions, lawyers, publicity campaigns and much political activity. (Off course this does not prevent these same people from spending big bucks with the offending companies!) This all set me thinking again about what the true Christian’s response should be.

Well, while the debate was raging, I was patiently waiting for someone to back out of a parking spot at a local mall but before I could occupy the space a big SUV stole the spot! On the back of the SUV was a beautiful chrome “Jesus fish”! Would this woman (I can barely call her a lady) fight for the right to have a fish and the name of Jesus on the back of her car? I think the chances are very good that she would, and that is just the problem.

It seems to me that Christians feel that it is more important to display the symbols that represent their religion than actually live lives of obedience to God’s word. The man who puts a dollar in the offering plate, feeling that he has discharged his responsibility to the Lord; the woman who wears a gold cross around her neck, hoping that it will bring blessing into her life; the person who does his religious duty by going to church once a month and those who stick chrome fishes on their cars, expecting that it will sanctify their rude behavior and lawlessness, all exemplify this “token Christianity”.

I wonder if the millions who engage in the symbols rather than the reality would be happy if the Lord sent them a postcard from the Kingdom or sent them a souvenir of the New Jerusalem while they spend eternity in hell? While all of us want the real blessings, the Kingdom and the real heaven and not just the t-shirt, many are happy to engage in the symbols of religion rather than the reality. Thousands will drink of the cup and eat the bread but refuse to be crucified with Christ. And over the centuries many have been baptized but have refused to bury the old man with it’s lusts and desires, and once again, at this time of the year, millions more will confuse the symbols for the reality.

Jesus called us to be the light of the world (Mat 5:14) but instead we festoon our houses with little lights. He commanded us to bear fruit (John 15:8) but we rather decorate a dead tree with plastic nick-knacks. We are called to serve one another (Gal 5:13) but it is a lot easier to buy one another (often useless) gifts. We should be teaching our children to live in absolute dependence on our heavenly Father as the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17), instead we condition them to believe in Santa Claus as the bringer of gifts. We should be living in anticipation of His coming, yet many live the year in anticipation of Christmas. We substitute a hunger and thirst for righteousness with gluttony and drunkenness and instead of being deeply thankful for His unspeakable Gift we throng the stores with returned gifts.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not against having a good time with family and friends and I too, drive around the neighborhoods at night admiring all the lights and displays. But since when do a few candy canes and plastic reindeer make up for a lack of Christian witness in our families, business and lifestyle? Sometimes I think the displays are a bit pathetic here in California with wads of cotton wool on roofs and fake snow flakes in window sills. Cotton wool is not snow and symbols are not Christianity. If you want snow on your roof then you need to move to Alaska or Canada and if you want real Christianity, you need to move closer to the foot of the Cross of Calvary – a fish, blow-up snowman and a fake tree just will not do.

This problem with symbolism is not a new one. Jesus had much to say about those Jews who made the fringes (tassels) on their garments extra long and the leather thongs that bound the law to their foreheads extra wide and who sounded trumpets when giving gifts. You may remember Him speaking of these people as being graves – very nicely decorated on the outside but inwardly full of dead men’s bones and other filthiness (Mat 23:27). Paul said: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (Rom 2:28,29).

Is it wrong for us to display the symbols of our faith? Yes, if it simply is an outward show devoid of substance. Christianity is not about how big a show we can put up, but rather about the substance and reality of a changed life. Those who have the real do not need the show. Young men prance around in the gym flexing their muscles in the tiniest of vests pumping iron with much grunting and display. Older men covered from head to toe in tracksuits will quietly get on with their workout without any noise or show. A quick glance at the size of the weights will often confirm that the unassuming men are stronger than the peacocks who are all show and no go.

This world does not need to see more Christmas trees and reindeers, it needs to see more people whose lives have been transformed by the message of the Cross. It does not need more sentimental cards and fake hugs but “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 17:35). The world will hardly take note of your fish, cross or tree but it will be shaken to it’s core when Christians begin to really live by the precepts of the Bible and Christians begin to exhibit the true Christ.

Anton Bosch

anton@ifcb.net

3310 W Magnolia Blvd

Burbank, CA, 91505

Tel 818 846 5520