Happy Boxing Day! Hope everyone had a restful, fun, and festive time with family and other loved ones this Christmas. Normally there is much coverage in early December about the "War on Christmas," whether it is what Starbucks is doing to their beverage containers, people blocking Nativity scenes, or canceling Christmas gatherings because there's too much religion in them. As one person on a Meta page I follow said, "Christ-MAS" is kind of an indication that religion is the focal point.
Duh.
However, in this year's war it seems the Left didn't bring their big guns; instead, they brandished toy guns. The people wielding those toy guns are also not their best and brightest (hello, AOC). What was most interesting about this year, aside from its anemic offerings of deconstructed and dead wrong messages, is that certain Christian institutions that used to uphold the Gospel seemed just as intent on ruining the meaning of Christmas for the reverent, and everyone else for that matter.
Exhibit A: Christianity Today, which penned a truly terrible piece on "How Asian Artists Picture Jesus’ Birth From 1240 to Today," to prove that through art on the Nativity, Asian artists are depicting Jesus through their culture's lens.
Jesus was born in Asia. He was Asian. Yet the preponderance of Christian art that shows him at home in Europe has meant that he is embedded deeply in the popular imagination as Western.
The artists in this photo essay bring him back to Asia—but not to ancient Israel. They make the birth a local event, translating the story into their own cultural contexts. And so we see Jesus wearing, for example, the bone necklace of an Igorot chief (the Indigenous people of northern Luzon, Philippines) or greeted by water buffalo at a roadside pavilion in Thailand.
Some may object to depicting Jesus as anything other than a brown male born into a Jewish family in Bethlehem of Judea in the first century, believing that doing so undermines his historicity. But Christian artists who tackle the subject of the Incarnation are often aiming not at historical realism but at theological meaning.
By representing Jesus as Japanese, Indonesian, or Indian, they convey a sense of God’s immanence, his “with-us–ness,” for their own communities—and for everyone else, the universality of Christ’s birth.
As my colleague Nick Arama covered, the X bunch ratioed this formerly august Christian publication into next Tuesday. To their point, I think an Israeli Prophet named Isaiah was the first to give the Christ universality by prophesying that he would be called "Emmanuel," which literally translates, "God With Us." Despite CT's attempt to be hip and revelatory, this is also nothing new. From Ethiopia (where Christianity has ancient historic roots), to Native Americans, cultures have always depicted Jesus through the eyes of those who believe. This does not rewrite history to make him a descendent of that culture; if anything, it shows how Christ transcends culture. An entire quality theological discussion could be had about this, if CT wasn't so intent on simply watering down the true meaning of Christmas: Christ came to be with us and to die for us. Who gives a rat's heinie how he looked?
Arama was also on the "Jesus is a Palestinian" watch this weekend, with her coverage of AOC's ridiculous commentary and these CNN hot takes on Jesus and the Israel-Gaza War. This take from Fr. Edward Beck, dressed in a cheesy red vest over his priestly vestments, is one for the ages.
But that wasn't the only hot take. There was another one from CNN from Fr. Ed Beck. This seemed to hit every bad liberal take you could imagine.
Jesus was a Palestinian Jew ~ Father Edward Beck #FreePalestine #NoMoreWars pic.twitter.com/hQr1loeS0I
— Terrence Daniels (Captain 🍀 Planet) (@Terrence_STR) December 26, 2023
The story of Christmas is about "A Palestinian Jew." Oh really, Fr. Beck? Last time I read the text of the Advent in Matthew it painstakingly lays out Jesus' lineage, and it ain't Palestinian. Israel are not "occupiers," it is their land. And they were homeless? Wow. Just take all the seats! However, Fr. Beck is in league with his current Pope and on brand with the people who have never embraced Christmas in their lives and just needed a new way to try and erode its meaning, while scoring political points.
Exhibit B:
Here’s something to upset a few white racists…..merry Christmas pic.twitter.com/zR5e3FCiJw
— Emmaaaaaa (@EmmaKelly6641) December 23, 2023
Some common sense coming from the Bronx, and from a Democrat Congressman, no less. Rep. Richie Torres sets the record straight.
Instead of putting aside politics for a day and wishing people a Merry Christmas, I have seen multiple commentators, in an attempt at rewriting history, insist that Jesus was born a Palestinian refugee in the West Bank.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) December 26, 2023
It is ahistorical and anachronistic to characterize…
Instead of putting aside politics for a day and wishing people a Merry Christmas, I have seen multiple commentators, in an attempt at rewriting history, insist that Jesus was born a Palestinian refugee in the West Bank. It is ahistorical and anachronistic to characterize Jesus, who was Jewish, as a Palestinian refugee in the West Bank. Even worse, it is antisemitic to compare Israelis to the Romans who murdered Jesus. Associating Jews with the murder of Jesus is antisemitism. Period. You’re entitled to your own opinions on the Israeli Palestinian conflict but you’re not entitled to rewrite history to fit your propaganda.
Spot on. But politicians, particularly those in Rep. Torres' party, simply cannot get it right. My colleague Bonchie covered this truly cringe video by Colorado Governor Jared Polis' attempting to be el carnal with the Spanish-speaking constituents in his state.
¡Feliz Navidad Colorado! pic.twitter.com/BjS5lmzELz
— Gobernador Jared Polis (@GovofCoEspanol) December 25, 2023
I know Colorado has a lot of Spanish-speaking residents, and pandering is the name of the game for left-wing politicians. This weak attempt at pandering looks straight-up racist, though, because Polis comes across like he's mocking Latinos, both with his singing and his dance moves. Let's recall that Donald Trump once ate a taco bowl on Cinco de Mayo and Democrats still claim it was an act of abject racism.
Right?! Major weak sauce, as though he and his staff decided to slap it together at the last minute to ensure the migrated residents aren't offended. Newsflash: Now they are offended.
Not to be left out, Vice President Kamala Harris and second partner Doug Emhoff discovered it was Christmas, and decided to present this very staged X post. While remembering to crop out the gas stove (which Joe Biden is trying to ban), they failed to tell the intern to blur out the clock, which registers Sunday, 12-24 at 14:36 p.m.—2:36 p.m. for those of us who can't translate military time. Not to mention, what civilian with no military background actually uses military time on their appliances?
Genius.
Oh, how relatable. The Vice President of the United States is just like the rest of us, celebrating Christmas with her family and eating beef Wellington.
— Joe (@JoeMaristela) December 26, 2023
Finally, I leave you with the COVIDiots still demanding you mask up because you're ruining THEIR holiday. Poor, put upon Taylor Lorenz hates you because it is your fault she is missing her fourth Christmas.
Taylor Lorenz is skipping Christmas for the 4th time because Covid pic.twitter.com/HTnDgUdDn2
— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) December 23, 2023
Then there are the PSA zealots:
If you’re seeing friends/family over Christmas (as I’m sure most of you are), please follow this simple guidance to help keep your loved ones a little safer:
— Cat in the Hat 🐈⬛ 🎩 🇬🇧 (@_CatintheHat) December 24, 2023
📍Take a quick Covid test before gathering.
📍Keep the windows open a little bit to help ventilate the room. pic.twitter.com/1gCfNamvkz
And the ones who are not only resentful that you will not comply, but adversarial. Another Catholic priest who needs to be stripped of his vestments. His bio also says he is a motivational speaker. Sure, Jan.
During the Covid lockdown, if you had family round on Christmas Day, police could force entry to your home and make them go home.
— Father Jim Sichko (@JimSichko) December 24, 2023
Does anyone know if this is service is still available, and if you have to book?
And finally, promoting doom and gloom and hawking vaccines in your "Merry Christmas" message is eternally tacky.
Wishing the best to so many colleagues/friends this Christmas. I’m not exactly sure what to say in these troubled/dark times. Will do my best to continue helping people through medical science. Optimistic for good news in 2024 re Covid + our new Chagas, hookworm anemia vaccines pic.twitter.com/IrRA6frUM3
— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) December 25, 2023
Very thankful this bunch could not come close to ruining Christmas, especially after the last two years. Continue to embrace truth, family, celebration, and let's do our best to break their toys in the New Year.
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