Season's Greetings

I was discussing with Sue and Martin last night the various phrasing that people use this time of year to wish each other well yet be "politically correct."

Lately there have been numerous stories and complaints about the "war on Christmas." (I'm not going to link to any here because I think you all know what I mean.) It is a sad commentary that some people get so hung up on certain words and symbols that they lose all sense of the context of the message. People are afraid to say Merry Christmas because non-Christians might be offended. And then some Christians get offended by Season's Greatings or Happy Holidays because they feel that Christmas is not being honored enough. (Here's a news flash: when the greeter at Wal-Mart says "Happy Holidays," it is totally perfunctory: the only hidden agenda is to make you buy things.)

Any of these phrases, when they are sincere, are simply wishes for blessings of joy for the recipient. How tragic that that beautiful wish gets distorted into offense, and that the giver is then made to be more cautious about bestowing these wishes.

So, to my readers, I wish you all a Merry Christmas, whether you observe that holiday or not. Please accept it in the spirit of goodwill in which it was intended.

Namaste,
Paul