The Scarlet Letter and Christmas

When I was in school I had to read the book, The Scarlet Letter. At the time it was a rather controversial read, and many of you know what the "big red A" stood for. From recent experience it seems the meaning has shifted - especially at Christmas time.

While visiting in Chicago a few weeks ago I had the privilege of spending an evening at Christkindlemarket with our daughter Krista and family. This (cold) outdoor event has many creative stalls from all over the country and the world with ornaments, cuckoo clocks, toys and unique foods for sale at the holiday time. The only two disconcerting moments were when Hannah, our two year old granddaughter, lost a mitten  (Whew! We found it again!) and when we arrived at the nativity scene. Don't get me wrong, the nativity scene was great. But, it was surrounded by a huge Menorah; a sign honoring the Bill of Rights, represented by images of the Statue of Liberty, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, assuring Americans that the true meaning of Christmas is the "Freedom FROM Religion;"  and a huge, red letter "A," standing for atheism. It seems the atheists found it important to proclaim their own version of what Christmas means - or does not mean - as the case may be.

The Christkindlemarket got me wondering why an atheist would try to convince someone of the lack of meaning and purpose to life. It's hard to imagine taking my two little grandchildren to the big red "A" and answering their question, "What do you think happens after we die?" with the words of Deborah Mitchell, the author of Growing up Godless: A Parent's Guide to Raising Kids Without Religion. " I don't know, but this is what I think: we die, we go into the ground and we become fertilizer. You know, that's it."

It's bad enough to spoil the idea of Santa Claus, but to advocate the "hope" that you will become fertilizer or another Scott lawn care product?!? As blogger Jazz Shaw says, "Even if you are rock solid in your belief that this is all there is and life is a pointless terminal ride to the empty darkness of the grave, how do you say that to a small child surrounded by other kids whose faces are glowing with excitement and anticipation?" I prefer to think the excited glow of a child's face is yet one more proof that there is hope that goes beyond the pain of this world.

I am so glad that the big "A" stands for nothing. Literally, if you believe in no eternal being, no real purpose on earth, why even go to Christkindlemarket? Why waste your money to put up a big letter to represent that life has no meaning and we all end up as fertilizer?

Thankfully, the photo I took that cold evening shows that there is a reality behind the "Big Red A." (If you look hard enough, you not only see Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus, but also Chris, Krista, Jonathan and Hannah!) Whether atheists want to admit it or not, the manger scene is right there. It's not just something made up to believe or not believe. It represents God loving His creation so much that He sent His only son as a baby to become a man who would carry our sins, die on the cross, rise again and give us hope not only on this earth, but also beyond the grave. It's not a kid's story we grow out of. The cross is ever present, even if invisible at the manger scene. Christmas has no meaning without the cross. Without the letter "a," perhaps it would be spelled "Christms," but the meaning would never change.