In December 1995, as a graduate student studying communication-studies I was forced to remove the word “Christmas” from my holiday-decorated office at the college I was attending. Soon after, I went to a “holiday planning party” for the department and made the mistake of suggesting that, “We, ‘the speech department’ do a ‘secret Santa’ gift exchange.” The head of the program, who demanded I remove the word “Christmas” from my office — groaning gutturally — said, “Duane! Can you please not use terminology so loaded with ‘Christianity!’”
I was truly blessed and thankful to attend graduate school and be invited into a program that permitted me to teach while completing my degree. But I did have to pick and choose my battles wisely, while staying focussed on my priority, which was to become the best teacher I could be, and always treat others the way that I wanted to be treated. However, there was no shortage of silliness to be carefully negotiated, which I would often dismiss as just being part of the fringe world of higher education I signed up for.
Little did I know — naive at the time — what starts on college campuses in America, rarely stays on college campuses. And a storm was brewing against Christmas. Soon it became clear that Hollywood, much of corporate America, and like-minded politicians were aligning with all levels of public education to try and cancel Christmas. Sadly, people were increasingly quick to surrender to imposed speech codes, embracing such terms as winter break, and happy holidays, as they gathered around holiday trees to exchange gifts for no discernible reason. All in the name of diversity. But if my time in graduate school taught me anything, it was that the canceling of Christmas in the name or diversity was arguably a veiled attempt to cancel Christ.
I’ll never forget attending an opening day for faculty at a college in 2016, where the keynote speaker, an “expert” from Penn State, roared that, “Christianity must be purged from all of public education.” Jump ahead to the present, December 2024. The community I live in is Black, white, Mexican, Armenian, Asian, and Orthodox Jew, to identify just part of the diversity in my neighborhood that I am blessed to live among. And while multiple identities are present, something special makes us all the same, our love for our community. Our home! All of the division and contempt for each other that we have been “repeatedly told” for the past four years we have for each other because of our differences — by the same people who have sought to cancel Christmas — is just not how we live, nor how most Americans live.
Recently our small town had a shining moment that would make the head of my graduate department long ago flush with frustration and wonder, “How has Christmas survived?”
I would argue, “hope!” Because the foolishness of God, is truly wiser than the wisdom of people. True and eternal hope, that cannot be canceled, because it cannot be contained. On Sunday, Dec. 1, I noticed a small unassuming sign in our town that read, “Tree Lighting, 4 p.m., at the hardware store.” Other than that, I had heard nothing about the event. It was not publicized. To my surprise, many families and friends gathered, smiling and laughing. Kids running freely. Christmas carols playing. All the worries of our state and nation, paused. Because of Christmas! Peace and goodwill toward men. Regardless of what the powers-that-be want us to call “it,” everyone present knew exactly why our community was gathered. Christmas!
Two hundred-plus people (my estimation), if only for the night, were united in the hope that is Christmas cheer. I could not help but wonder, “What if a dozen ‘or less’ had gathered to protest the celebration, how many news vans would have been present to promote the darkness rather than the light?”
Ironically, also on Dec. 1, the Wall Street Journal reported, “Sales of Bibles are Booming.” According to the Journal, publishers suggests a possible reason for the “22% jump in Bible sales this year” is “a search for hope.” I will add that there is a reason the Bible is the most purchased (Guinness World Records) and stolen (CNN, Jan. 7, 2013) book in the world. Historically. God’s word is alive and active, and like Christmas will never be contained. And while a tree-lighting is not a biblical event, it was in honor of the biblical event that our nation once collectively honored. Eternal hope that started in the small town of Bethlehem many years ago, named Jesus. Hope that will not to be contained to any small town, or silenced ever. Hope we should all pray is experiencing a well overdue and needed revival across our entire nation.
Merry Christmas!
Duane Smith
Agua Dulce
