Celebrating Christmas

Dr. Couch, should we be celebrating Christmas, since this is a "Catholic" word: Christ-mass? We are not commanded to do so in Scripture. ANSWER:  This reminds me of the Church of Christ folks who argue, since musical instruments are not mentioned in the Bible to use for worship, therefore, it is wrong to use musical instruments in church worship!    And, I guess Christ was wrong to go up to Jerusalem to celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, since the Jews were not commanded to do so in the OT! (see John 10:22-30.) Did you know that He did that? There is nothing wrong with remembering certain blessings in either the OT or NT. This is what Christ did. This is what we do with the Lord's Table. It is a "remembrance" and it is Passover condensed and abbreviated. I don't know of any true believer in Christ who became a Catholic because of the word Christmas. Some words become embedded in our vocabulary by usage, but most people don't know of the origins of such words.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Dec., 09)

The German Blitz and Hanukkah

Dr. Couch, I heard you speak about the people of London, England joining in on Hanukkah during the German Blitz of 1940. Could you explain? 

 

   ANSWER:   As the German bombers came over night after night, the English people were at their lowest spiritual ebb. It was near Christmas time in December which was the same period of remembering Hanukkah, or the Jewish Festival of Lights, celebrating the victory of the Jews over the Greeks in 167 BC. 

    Some Germans were listening to the BBC radio broadcast because of its Christmas celebrations on England’s only radio station that was government operated. The Germans by this time in 1940 had been forced to give up the Nativity celebration and replace any Christmas festivities with a pagan, German Winter Solstice Festival. 

    The Germans who were listening to the forbidden English station, must have gotten an ear full, because the BBC was broadcasting the Hanukkah Festival lead by the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. The ceremony included readings from the Psalms: “I will praise You,” and a Hanukkah hymn “Rock of Ages, let our song praise Your saving power.” The service was closed by the Cantor and Choir of the Great Synagogue Choir of London. 

    Non-Jews hiding in the subways from the German bombs heard the broadcast. They joined in and sang along with the Maoz Tsur, the official Hanukkah melody. In the shelters children celebrated Hanukkah and held a tea party and played games. The celebrations were greatly enjoyed by all who were present, including the non-Jewish shelterers, who openly expressed the pleasure it gave them to join their Jewish friends in their religious celebration,” the news reported. 

    Since Hanukkah coincided with Christmas the Rabbi sent greetings to all in the underground shelters, and conveyed the compliments of the season. 

    Could it have been that the trials of the war had humbled British Christians to open their hearts to their Jewish neighbors and join together in such religious expressions? This closeness between Jew and Christian was unprecedented in British and Jewish relations. During the Blitz England had a great spiritual revival and a turning back to Christ. 

   Thanks for asking,

   Dr. Mal Couch