Merry Christmas Biola!

This is my first Biola Christmas as a student, and I am having a blast! The Christmas tree lighting and our brother floor's Christmas party Deck the Haven were fantastic and got me in such a great Christmas spirit. I love loving Christ and celebrating his birth in this season.

I would like to address the ever-sugarcoated epidemic that has seized America, namely the fear to say the phrase “Merry Christmas.” Everywhere it’s “happy holidays” or “winter break” in order to show tolerance for those of other cultures and religions. America wants us to shove any partiality and distressing controversy aside and choose to care more about being nice than about what we believe.

I would like to say that Jesus did not come to this earth to be nice to people. When people were wrong, he showed them they were wrong because he loved them enough to want them to do better and know his love. In fact, he showed anger at their sinful practices and corrected them in love. I believe in Jesus Christ, and I will parade his name around the world so people can know who he is and what he has done. As cliché as it sounds, Jesus truly is the reason for the season; his birth the single most important event of history, and when I say goodbye to someone, I will say “Merry Christmas!” because Jesus isn’t just my reason for the season, He is the right reason.

Just to clarify

Please don’t mistake this post as a rise to action to shove the name of Jesus down the throat of every unfortunate person who crosses your path. I am not trying to begin an angry revolution. Jesus’ anger was righteous anger—something most of us haven’t mastered. I am also not saying tolerance for other people and religions is sinful. Our second most important commandment is to love everyone as ourselves.

I am saying that I am not afraid of offending people with a “Merry Christmas” because our first most important commandment is to love God. I know and love Jesus, and I want to be like him. He offended people so much with what he said that he was murdered. Crucified. I am striving to be like Jesus so people can know God’s love, and plant seeds that the Spirit can harvest.

Christmas at Biola

I love Biola because everyone says “Merry Christmas.” Every building has at least one Christmas tree in the lobby (if not two or three.) The Caf is decorated at each station with presents and lights, and the girls on my floor have wrapping paper on their doors, wreaths hanging, tinsel strewn, and lights and ornaments all over their bed posts and window frames. It is CHRISTmas here. For real.

It’s Christmas at Biola. Praise God.

We know the truth, though sometimes people try to hide it under a lampshade. I encourage you this season to take off the lampshade and spread the joy of the Lord with a little “Merry Christmas!”