Christmas I

While in Iowa while listening to a Christian radio station during my December kettle runs I heard several preachers over two seasons bemoan during their shows how Christmas has become secularized. Two of the preachers harangued on and on several times throughout the month that outside Sunday morning and the standard children’s church program that the babe in the manager is rarely thought about by even the average Christian.

There is a Christian television network that for several years tracks and publicizes how Christmas is under assault. Last year the entertainer Bill O’Reilly started to do the same thing to successfully market and raise his show to a new level. Some of the examples that were noted are legitimate incidences while others were efforts to spin a mole-hill into a mountain. Yes, the “no-spin zone” O’Reilly spins interviews and stories for his own purposes….everyone does so as no one is without their own bias that colors their coverage and the question selection.

What I find to be interesting is that if you are a Christian and you are seeking Christmas music that you will not find it on Christian radio stations until just a few days prior to December 25th. There are two Christian stations whose signals can be picked up in the DC area…neither is playing Christmas music. Of course their time has been bought/rented to various ministries who proclaim daily the Word. Several of the ministries will have the minister talk about how Christmas is under assault but are not setting aside any of their time to play Christmas music.

On XM Radio there are three channels devoted to Christian music. It would be assumed that these channels whose programming designed is contracted out to Christian radio stations would be playing Christmas music, particularly the traditional religious carols. The assumption would be wrong. No carols are found.

If you are seeking Christmas music on XM or terrestrial radio you have to turn to secular stations. There is a local radio station in DC that starts playing at Thanksgiving religious carols and Christmas songs 24/7. I think that speaks volumes with regard to the Christian mass media.

Next week many schools in our area and the week following will be having their “Holiday Concert”…a concert at which religious carols are played and sung alongside other holiday music. I think that speaks volumes.

It seems to me those preachers who bemoan the secularization of Christmas need to take a deep breath. It is time to stop promoting themselves, pushing ratings, pulling in the dollars by pushing hot buttons and getting the juices of fear flowing. It is time to cool down, take the higher road and control what they can control. It seems to me that it is better to take the opportunity to celebrate the faith and the babe in music and devotional thought.

To follow – Christmas II: My Christmas view and posture that will surprise my extended family and many of acquaintances.