http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/why-i-dont-participate-in-the-christmas-wars

Internetmonk has a guest writer today suggests an interesting interpretation of what happens during the holidays based on this verse from Joy to the World: "He rules the world with grace and truth, and makes the Nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love… "

The entire blog post is worth reading, but here's a taste:

"This particular verse of this hymn is the reason . . . why you will never hear me decrying the commercialization of the Christmas holiday. Christmas as we celebrate it is the ultimate example of what this verse teaches."

That is, he is "not bothered when people or businesses talk about 'Happy Holidays" because, "' We all know which holiday they are referring to. Christmas is the 800 pound gorilla on the holiday block.'"

. . .

"I can hear the protests—'These people aren’t Christians, are materialistic, are doing it for selfish reasons, don’t understand the true meaning,' etc, etc. These things are true. Let me paraphrase the patriarch Joseph. He told his brothers that they had meant it for evil (when they sold him into bondage) but God had meant it for good. Concerning Christmas, we mean these things for whatever reason we mean them, but God means them for good. For us and for our neighbors."

. . .

"You may be saying to yourself, 'Well, our culture has forgotten the Christian meanings, too.' I say not entirely. Even then, Christ makes the Nations prove the glories of His righteousness and the wonders of His love"

http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/why-i-dont-participate-in-the-christmas-wars