Thursday, January 1, 2009

Got a Kick outta This

God Has Not Left Himself Without Witness

Another year is through. A new year has just begun. And even in these post-post-modern days we live in, all the way into 2009, God has not left Himself without witness. We have just celebrated the birthday of God the Son. Isn't it amazing that 2000 plus years after the fact, even atheists celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ?

I am both perplexed and upset by the fact that people are trying to take Christ out of Christmas. I was into a snowmobile store on Christmas Eve day and the clerk wished me a merry Christmas. I was so ecstatic. If I hear "happy holidays" one more time in my life I am going to puke. I guess they don't want to offend anybody, besides Christians of course, and so when everyone is especially cheerful and good willing, celebrating the birth of Jesus, they aren't allowed to actually mention Him.

So then, much to the consternation of both myself and Stan Smith, Christmas is not as Christ-centered as it perhaps used to be. Still, as I said above, God has not left Himself without witness. Where does the goodwill and good cheer and peace on Earth and so on ultimately derive if not Jesus of Nazareth? I can think of no other place. I believe in total depravity, after all. Since Jesus has made such a difference, even in the lives of atheists, He must have really existed.

Speaking of Christmas, do you like Christmas music? I know, I know, a lot of people don't like it because "you can only listen to it at a certain time each year." Aside from that being irrelevant and false, I myself do enjoy it quite a bit. A while ago, I got hold of a Twisted Sister album of traditional carols, of all things. Not a bad album. More punk than hair metal, the album has, alas, only one religious carol. Still, coming from Twisted Sister, that is rather impressive. After all, Twisted Sister is said to be a Satanic band which glorifies rebellion and disrespect against parents. Apparently they're not going to take the secularization of Christmas either. "O come all ye faithful! Joyful and triumphant! Come ye oh come ye to Bethlehem! Come let us adore Him! Come let us adore Him! Come let us adore Him! Christ the Lord!" Dee Snider screams as the guitarist plays the same three power chords-apparently the only ones he learned-over and over.

And who could forget good ol' Charlie Brown? As a child growing up, almost all of my religious instruction was limited to Pig Pen (or whomever it was) explaining the true meaning of Christmas to Charlie Brown. By the way, the album of that cartoon is a pretty good Christmas album too. Smooth jazz.

The beginning of the new year, the rebirth that is Springtime, the metamorphosies of butterflies, natural theology, and blogs of apologists all witness to the existence and bigness of God. God has not left Himself without witness!

Peace on Earth.
Good will to men.