X Factor

I believe it was Will Rogers who said “Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects”. I think I would have to pretty much agree with that statement. There are certain subjects that I am completely ignorant about. The areas of medical science and engineering immediately come to mind. But because I know that I’m ignorant about such things – I try to keep my mouth shut when the conversation turns to such subjects. I simply don’t see the point of making an idiot of yourself and talk about something you know nothing about. I can’t say I’ve always done that or always do that but I do recognize (as my father says) that “I shouldn’t’ be talking just to be talking”.

I had this happen to me the other day and it really got under skin. Kathy and I were with some folks from our old church. The topic turned to the subject of Christmas trees. We put a real Christmas tree every year. Kathy can’t quite cross over to the dark side and buy an artificial one yet but I’m working on her. Anyhow, these folks asked us where we bought our Christmas tree from. We told them that bought from the Boys & Girls Club in front of Sam’s Club. This couple kind of looked at each other and collectively went “Ohh…” The husband said somewhat smugly “Yeah we saw that place but we didn’t buy ours from them”. His wife said “That’s right. That’s’ the place that had 'the sign' ”. Now I was intrigued and asked “What sign?” The husband proudly said “The one that said “X-Mas trees” instead of “Christmas trees”. I stood there ready to say something but before I did he continued: “You know Ron, sometime you just have to take a stand. We have got to keep “Christ” in Christmas.” I thought to myself: “This is exactly why I no longer go to your Church”.

I said nothing to this man, in hindsight I probably should have but I didn’t feel like getting into a contest with him. He’s not the type of guy who likes to be corrected, particularly in front of his wife. Sometimes it’s easier and perhaps better to say nothing at all. Anyhow, let me explain why this got under my skin. Many folks, particularly those who profess to be people of faith assume, the term “X-mas” is meant to take “Christ out of Christmas”. When in fact that is not the case, X-mas is simply an ancient abbreviation for Christmas (first cited in 1551). It comes from the Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (transliterated is Christ's) which is Greek for Christ. The “X” in “Xmas” is a symbol for Christ, from the Greek letter chi (X). Check your dictionary by the meaning of the letter "X" and you'll that it says "Christ". So back in the day, Christmas (which literally means “Christ’s Mass”) was abbreviated using the symbol of Christ (X) to Xmas then over time to X-mas. Many folks, like my friend, think that the “X” in “X-Mas” is part of a secular conspiracy to “take Christ out of Christmas”. Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.

In the course of normal conversation I refer to Christmas as Christmas. I don’t run around saying “Merry X-Mas”. Personally I prefer to use Christmas over X-Mas. But I don’t get offended by the usage of the abbreviation “X-mas”. The reasons are simple: because I know its origin plus I like what the 'X' means. But at one point in time I didn’t know, so I looked it up in a dictionary and found out what it meant. I was then no longer ignorant as to what X-mas meant. That’s all this guy had to do to – was to look it up – find out for yourself – do a little research. Instead we settle on and listen to the opinions of others instead of finding out for ourselves. Like they used to say on X-Files – “The Truth is Out There”. We just need to be willing to look for it.

And another thing. Not buying a Christmas tree from the Boys and Girls Club (a great organization in my opinion) because they used “X-Mas” on their sign, is not “taking a stand” for the cause. That kind of “we need to take a stand” attitude albeit for safe and convenient issues is a joke. The whole idea that we fool ourselves into thinking that we are somehow noble for standing up as something ridiculous as this is laughable. But to me it points to a larger problem. It comes from a mentality that is created and fostered in many of today’s church’s. If you’re not out there reminding people that their going to hell and that you’ve got all the answers – well then your not a Christian. I gotta tell you guys, I am sick and tired of this mindset. I’m tired of us claiming to be one thing and then living another way. Then to appease our conscience, we do “things” that appear outwardly ‘righteous’ but don’t amount mean a hill of beans. By the way, everything I’ve just mentioned – I’ve done too – so I’m convicted by my own words.

I’m just tired of us talking about things we know nothing about. I’m tired of us jumping to conclusions. I'm tired of us thinking we have to know all the answers. And I’m tired of us thinking that we’re something we’re not. All I know is that I’m a work in progress, who doesn’t have a clue, that needs to keep his mouth shut and is done pretending to be something he isn’t. I'll just have to rely on the 'X' Factor to help make it through.