Who will celebrate Christmas correctly?

By J. Basil Dannebohm

In his book, “God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas,” neo-orthodox theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, “Who will celebrate Christmas correctly? Whoever finally lays down all power, all honor, all reputation, all vanity, all arrogance, all individualism beside the manger.”

Today, an epidemic of narcissism casts a cold cloud over our world. Humanity is rife with a lust for power, honor, reputation, vanity, arrogance, and individualism. Yet despite our shortcomings, God saw fit to send His only Son to save us. (John 3:16) And so, we find ourselves once again commemorating that joyous occasion.

Whether we are celebrating “correctly” is another matter entirely.

As we honor the birth of the Messiah, many American Christians have adopted the phrase, “Peace through strength.” The thinly veiled battle cry stands in stark contrast to the message of the manger. Jesus taught that true peace comes from Him, not the world. We read in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you."

The King of Kings said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

There was no mention of strength from the Theánthropos (God-man), whose every word was carefully chosen.

Yet far too many of us search for both peace and strength in princes and sons of men (Psalm 146:3-5). Such a search inevitably pits neighbor against neighbor.

Division, which is the antithesis of peace, brings about desolation. Hearts of desolation are vessels in which the Father of Lies, in his cunning, can extinguish the Christmas spirit, only to replace it with anger, retribution, and cruelty. Jesus warned us, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25)

The passage was famously paraphrased by Thomas Paine, Abigail Adams, and Abraham Lincoln.

Yet this Christmas season, our nation is more bitterly divided than ever. Division is being not only embraced, but celebrated, in sacred institutions where leaders once cautioned against its devastating effect on democracy. Anger, retribution, and cruelty have become so commonplace that many of us have grown immune to that which should shake our collective conscience.

We can’t blame our leaders for this bitter new normal. The ownership rests on each of us. Leaders are symptoms of cruelty, not causes.

The redemptive message of the Prince of Peace never involved force, division, narcissism, showmanship, or cruelty. He was, in His own words, “gentle and humble in heart.” (Matthew 11:28-30) His message was clear and indisputable: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:35-40) In the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-42), the Savior who was once a refugee (Matthew 2:13-15) taught compassion for the downtrodden stranger, emphasizing care for those in need, regardless of background.

Indeed, Christ stood for kindness.

Lebanese-American writer Kahlil Gibran once noted, “Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.”

Kindness is not the same as unconditional acceptance. It's a step above tolerance and a step below love. It’s the least we can offer to “the least of these.”

In this age of putting forth a tough guise, often for the sake of perceived self-preservation, we tend to regard kindness as weakness. President Franklin Roosevelt echoed Gibran’s wisdom when he said, “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”

Through kindness, there is indeed strength; and in the message of the manger there is peace – and hope.

Anne Frank famously wrote, “I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”

Jesus told His followers, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Therein lies my hope this Christmas season.

May our world, which is “being slowly transformed into a wilderness,” look to the heavens and find peace just as shepherds and kings did on that most holy night some two millennia ago. Only then can we truly celebrate Christmas correctly.