With Apologies

I'm not in the business of retraction, but I am in the business of being able to apologize when I think I'm in the wrong. In this case, I think I'm in the wrong.

I was reading a post on facebook from a friend of mine and it made me take a second look at my blog entry from last week. While I don't disagree with everything I said, there is a paragraph that I think was out of line and for that I owe my readers an apology. I'm also stating up front that I'm not removing the blog entry because like I said, I'm not in the business of retraction, but I will admit when I think I said something stupid so I can remedy it. Also, if I remove the blog entry, you won't get to scroll down and see what I'm talking about, and I want you to see it so you can see why I'm embarassed by what I wrote.

Re: Paragraph that reads: If I wish you a Merry Christmas and you're offended, you're too sensitive.

That was an uncalled for comment. What I wish I had written instead is this: "If I wish you a Merry Christmas and you're offended, please tell me."

The gist of what my friend said was that it's not always okay to go around assuming that someone is a Christian unless they prove otherwise. What she said really bothers her is the notion that "Merry Christmas" is the norm as a way of being passive about it without taking the time to care about what our neighbor celebrates or doesn't celebrate. It was that comment from her that really made me take a second look at what I wrote.

That being said, I stand by my comment that the holiday season should open us up to conversation. Having read what my friend wrote and thinking about what I myself wrote, it makes me feel a little more like instead of just wishing someone a Merry Christmas, asking first, "Do you celebrate Christmas?" It gives the person permission to tell me no instead of being afraid to tell me no if I just say "Merry Christmas" on my way out the door. My point is not that a person needs permission in order to tell us what holiday they celebrate, if any. My point is that it would be helpful if we as Christians strike a balance between owning our faith and saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" but it would also be helpful if we open the door for conversation to learn something new about the people we encounter on a daily basis, even if we never see that person again. Chances are, the people we encounter will feel a sense of autonomy and identity to which every human being is entitled.

I therefore apologize for my pervious blog post because what I was trying to say and what I think I actually said were not the same thing. I do think Christians need to do a better job of owning our faith because I think it is a remarkable and disturbing sign of the times when non-Christians do a better job talking about who Jesus was than Christians do. That being said, however, I also think we as Christians need to do a better job encountering our neighbors in a way that encourages conversation, not superiority.

Wishing you a merry winter season of whatever holiday you do or do not celebrate. Because I'm Christian, I wish you a Merry Christian, and if that is not your holiday of choice, I invite you to tell me and I hope I haven't offended you.

Peace be with you,
Pastor Becki