tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446705.post4280043556154334373..comments2023-09-26T05:08:11.190-05:00Comments on Rick's Reflections: Merry Christmas!Rick Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03203445347348671817noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446705.post-27073352258293737382008-12-09T16:08:00.000-06:002008-12-09T16:08:00.000-06:00This was a response by my son, Josh:Over-reacting?...This was a response by my son, Josh:<BR/><BR/><BR/>Over-reacting? Maybe so.<BR/><BR/>Is it a reason to be depressed? I don't think so.<BR/><BR/>The early Christians didn't celebrate Christmas or Easter, but Christianity was thriving as a minority group of people following a Jewish Carpenter who was baffling the religious leaders, healing strange diseases, reaching out to the marginalized, driving out demons, and talking about the Kingdom of God.<BR/><BR/>As we continue to live into a pluralistic world (which is what the 21st century is), we need to take comfort in the words of Jesus in Luke 10, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."<BR/>Jesus looked around a world that had been spinning out of orbit for years, yet he saw it as a world with great potential. He was optimistic. <BR/>And the world has never been the same again.<BR/><BR/>I love America and I don't want Christianity to die here.Rick Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03203445347348671817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446705.post-5705432739265528422008-12-09T12:41:00.000-06:002008-12-09T12:41:00.000-06:00Jeff,I fear you may be correct. The attempted rem...Jeff,<BR/><BR/>I fear you may be correct. The attempted removal of Christ from Christmas may be the least of our concerns.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09958802674036850912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446705.post-81230528020698310172008-12-09T11:07:00.000-06:002008-12-09T11:07:00.000-06:00I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I want to be ...I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I want to be offended by society taking "Christmas" out of our greetings. On the other hand, I see it as a precursor of the days to come. As this country is overtaken by more and more foreign interests, I imagine many things changing and the celebration of Christmas is just one of them. I'll even go so far to say that it won't be long before the challenge against Christmas will be simple compared with the issues (or battles) Christians will be challenged with. I hope I'm wrong and in the meantime, will continue to wish you and everyone else a very Merry Christmas.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00606199377889821435noreply@blogger.com