Happy Day Off!
Monday, December 25, 2006
Growing up and into Messianic Judaism meant experiencing a transition from Christian to Jewish holiday celebrations. As with most believers who come to understand that their faith is a Jewish faith, the transition was a gradual one. It wasn't until I was eleven that we stopped putting a Christmas tree in our home. Of course, this was the ultimate holiday gift to my father, who had inherited a great dislike of the sap-leaking pines from his father (who just so happened to be a closet-Jew, go figure). We didn't really stop exchanging gifts on Christmas day until I was in college. Up until a few years ago, we still celebrated Christmas day with our extended family who do not practice Messianic Judaism. This celebration, of course, entailed gathering together for a meal and to exchange gifts, secular rituals no more related to the celebration of Messiah than the actual holiday of Christmas itself. Finally, now, we stay at home on Christmas day and enjoy the quiet; no gifts, no family, nothing truly special to make us feel as if its a holiday, unless, of course, we turn the television on and happen to catch the Christmas Story marathon on TBS. We'll still wind up getting together with extended family sometime during the holiday week to exchange gifts and catch up, but that's about it. The last of our presents were given to each other on the 8th night of Chanukah, and our menorah, with candles nearly burnt out, sits proudly at the center of our mantle through the gentile New Year, a reminder of how nice it is to be different from everyone else.
I recall one kehilat leader's sermon regarding Christmas day a few years ago. They had spent their day online, popping into different chat rooms set up by users with names like "LOnly Jew on Xmas." The leader would go into the chat room and present themself as yet another Jew who felt left out on the gentile holiday. Then, they would carefully lead the conversation into a discussion about Yeshua and use the opportunity to witness to these Jews about Messiah on Christmas. Somehow, the whole scenario struck me as ironic, to say the least. To a Christian, taking the opportunity to tell a Jewish person about Messiah on Christmas Day is the equivalent of scoring extra points in Heaven. To a Jewish person, though, it just sounds kind of...fake. Rav Shaul instructs Timothy to be ready with the Word on hand, whether the time seems right or not, but is Christmas day really the right time to initiate a conversation about Messiah with a non-believing Jew? Aren't we as Messianics already stereotyped enough as "fraudulent Christians" by our non-believing mishpocha? To start telling them about Messiah on the day where they feel left out and alone by those that believe in Him-- would that be an inclusive or exclusive measure? I suppose it all depends on the mood in the room and the direction of the Ruach.
I also suppose that my point is not whether or not we should share the truth of Messiah, but how we should approach the subject. Are we looking to share with mishpocha as fellow Jews, or are we looking to share with "lost sheep" on the day we celebrate "Messiah's arrival" even though we aren't technically celebrating anything because "we're Jews now" and we understand the truth about the pagan roots of Christmas? We all reach a stage in our transition into Messianic Judaism where we simultaneously feel like insiders looking out, and outsiders looking in. But, before we can relate to the groups on either side of the divide, we've got to pick a clear perspective and make it our own.
That's my question to you, dear reader, on this average day in the life of any Jew: Are you looking at your G-d through the eyes of a Christian, or the eyes of a Jew? How you see Him determines how you see the world, and how you see the world determines how you relate to the world. Even more importantly, how you see Him determines how you see yourself. Are you still looking through a glass darkly during this holiday season, sure of some things and not so sure of others? Are you lonely, but not quite sure if you're a Jew this Christmas? Or, are you ditching the ashera poles in the hopes of telling some Jews about "the true reason for the season"?
Or, do you know who you are, because G-d has made Himself known to you?
No matter where you're at right now, know that there's one fellow Jew out there who has a spring roll with your name on it, and a Chanukkia that desperately needs to be de-waxed. Baruch haShem for a Happy Day Off!
Messianic Judaism
Hebrew Roots
Christmas
posted by Shoshana @ 10:41 AM
4 Comments:
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At 5:18 PM,
said...
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בס״ד
Do you agree with this statement?: If we are to be devout and responsible Messianics, Christmas must mean nothing to us, as the holiday has nothing to do with G-d, the Torah, or Yeshua all of which we seek to exemplify, and communally achieves nothing that Chanukkah doesn't do much better. Messianic Judaism if represented correctly will make Jews (and Gentiles, BS"D!) the world over even more proud to light a Chanukkiah and wrap themselves with a prayer shawl, not convince them to put up Christmas trees and order pepperoni pizza (G-d forbid!). -
At 8:58 AM,
Shoshana said...
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Who eats pizza on Christmas? Wow, what a rip. We always got a turkey, at least. ;)
Every year in every Messianic shul or gathering or blog or podcast, there's always the perfunctory message about the wrongness of Christmas. I understand that a lot of new people are coming into the faith, so for them, this is a helpful and instructive message. But, quite frankly, you don't walk into a Jewish shul and get a lecture on the importance of Hanukkah versus Christmas; you just talk about Hanukkah. To most Jews, Christmas is a non-issue.
Now, granted, the Messianic faith is a unique case given the history of the believing community. So, obviously, something has to be taught somewhere along the line, so that the community is clear on the correct ways to worship HaShem in feasts and festivals. But, for the life of me, I'd love to be in a community of Messianics where Christmas is just a non-issue.
Eventually, this will be the case. As for now, we must educate, but we should attempt to educate culturally as well as literally. How much more of an impact would the Messianic movement have if they turned Christmas into a non-issue, both through education regarding the true history of the celebration as well as...just not celebrating it at all? Instructing not only that it should not be celebrated, but that it just ISN'T celebrated because...we're Jews.
One day in the near future, the Messianic movement will be one where things like Christmas and Easter are non-issues. I think of how radically different my growing up was in comparison to my parents', and how much more radically different my future children will be raised in comparison to the way I was raised. To them, Christmas will be a lens into gentile American life, into how "the other" lives. It won't mean presents or Yeshua at all-- it literally will be something foreign and pagan to them from day one. How amazing is it to envision the future of our faith and realize that it will be so very much akin to the faith Yeshua breathed when He walked on this earth! -
At 11:50 AM,
said...
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בס״ד
I too dream every day of a Messianic Judaism that treats Christmas and Easter as non-issues, where the Judaism and rabbinic lifestyles of the Messiah Yeshua is completely non-negotiable and inarguable to us, where we stop talking about whether or not to observe the Torah (I'm looking at you, MJAA!) and start talking about why it's so wonderful that we're all observing Torah. I cannot wait! May there be a Sefer Torah in every Messianic shul! -
At 1:27 PM,
Shoshana said...
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I would add, may there be a sefer Torah written on the heart of each and every Messianic believer. As you point out with your parenthetical comment, we are all subject to being stiff-necked and hard hearted; Baruch haShem, we have also been given the promise that He will write His Torah on our hearts.
