A friend of mine texted me the other day, asking what my take was on Christians celebrating with their non-Christian friends on their religious holidays. For instance on Christmas day, my non-Christian friends might say to me—merry Christmas! (By the way can it be Christmas already?) And then proceed to come over to my house to celebrate with me. So her question was along the lines of if a Christian could return the favor. What do you guys think? Let’s talk about it!
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First off, how do you know exactly what is being celebrated? For me, I actually don’t acknowledge holidays/celebrations from other religions. It’s not a pride thing, but I do not think it is appropriate for me to do so as a Christian. I understand if this topic is sensitive for those who have families that practice other religions, I get it. Still, I don’t think we need to play in that space for them to know we love them. I can’t wrap my head around endorsing something I don’t believe in, because what is the rationale behind me celebrating with them on such holidays? If Jesus wouldn’t celebrate it, why should I? Please hear me out, it is not about the person but rather, the event.
We live in a society where I hear statements from some Christians like—if you are a Christian or Muslim, pray to God for such and such to take place. And I am left wondering, are you a believer? Is it either-or? isn’t Jesus the only way? Or can we now pick and choose whatever religion we want to follow, after all, it is the same God, different people just have different ways to get to Him. I think not.
All this is not to say that we shouldn’t show love or compassion to those who believe differently from us or open up our homes to them, but there are just certain practices that we should be ferocious about, so we don’t get to a place where we begin to question what we truly believe. The Bible is clear when it makes the declaration that—Jesus is the only way to God.
That makes a clear distinction from what all other worldview believes about Him. If we begin to join in on their celebrations and wishing them a happy, whatever they celebrate, how then can we confidently preach Christ as the only way? After all, we party together and celebrate the same holidays.
That is some mess you don’t want to get entangled in. Rather than bothering if we should wish or celebrate an event with them as it pertains to their religion, let us show them that there is a better way of life. You know Christ died for everyone, and His arms are open to anyone who would receive Him. As Christians, the way we point people to Christ is by being an embodiment of who Christ was on this planet.
Even if He sat around and talked about the kingdom of God with people who wouldn’t typically believe, He did not get entangled with their practices. You are not a bad friend or family member if you don’t celebrate a particular holiday of loved ones who are of differing belief systems (I have Jehovah Witnesses in my family, they don’t even say to me—happy birthday and that doesn’t mean they don’t love me), it just shows that you hold someone else in higher regard, which is God, and you want to do right by Him.
So what do y’all think? Is it a big deal or nah? Leave your comments below and also remember to like, share, and subscribe never to miss an update.
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About The Author: Evi Idoghor is a Christian, writer, and content creator on Letstalknationblog.com. She is a chemical engineering graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Consumed by her love for writing and desire to effect change, she launched her online platform––Let’s Talk Nation––to tap into her creativity and start meaningful conversations that would make a difference around the world.
Most of her writing has been influenced by her time spent in America, where she lived for about 11 years. Also, she lived in Nigeria and South Korea and currently loves traveling the world while learning about other fascinating cultures. You can find her on all social media platforms with @eviidoghor.