Ifedayo Babalola

By Ifedayo Babalola 

There is something about sect founders who scrounge for desperate unique angles in order to show the world they are holier than the rest and that they are the chosen adherents of The Word. 

Unfortunately, these same ones end up picking and choosing what to base their uniqueness on. It doesn’t matter if these things are fundamental or not. It doesn’t matter if God commanded against it or not. Will God reject every Christian who celebrate Christmas? Is everyone who didn’t holy and acceptable? Is the non-celebration of Christmas the litmus test?

These same no-Christmas sects once banned television, calling it The Devil’s Box, thereby putting their members (and their children) in bondage. They ended up creating a congregation of ‘sinners’ who acted differently in church than at home. Now, The Devil’s Box has been silently approved. The same founders now appear on TV and social media in their *un-Christlike* expensive suits.

*’We don’t celebrate Christmas’* order is another bondage – and as the congregation engendered a silent revolution to upturn the TV misadventure, a generation will arise in those churches that will cause the leadership to put things in proper perspective. Nothing is more insensitive than herding your congregation into a camp meeting from Christmas eve to Boxing day! Christians are their own worst enemies. 

Many Christian children will grow up to detest the religion due to some actions of church leaders. It is not impossible that the pastor went public because the body language (at least) of some members are already tending towards being pro-Christmas. I believe he is fighting a lost cause. It is a matter of time.

Here is the encounter between the three wise men and the angel who announced the birth of Christ:

“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”’

Heaven rejoiced and praised God on the occasion. The benefit of the birth of Christ was not for heaven but for mankind. If heaven rejoiced, so should we. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:6

*…..the letter kills, but The Spirit gives life.*

Those who are searching for the word Christmas and the date December 25 in The Bible should continue. I wish them luck.

In fact, if Christmas did not exist, we will have to invent it. No one will go to hell for that. 

Some critics commented that if it is controversial, then the whole idea of Christmas should be dropped. I beg to disagree. The religion itself, Christianity, is controversial. So are many doctrines upon which it rests -virgin birth, death, resurrection, heaven, hell and even the seven day creation. Should we remove these because they are controversial? Definitely not.

-Ifedayo Babalola writes from London