Kwanzaa

The celebration of Kwanzaa begins today and runs through 1 January, 2011.  The holiday, which is cultural rather than religious,  is primarily observed in the United States; the name of the celebration comes from the Swahili phrase, matunda ya kwanzaa, which in English is translated as "first fruits of the harvest."

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulanga Ron Karenga (b. 1941), a college professor, political activist, and black nationalist.  He called it a "communitarian African philosophy" and stated that the festival was intended to  help African-Americans reconnect with their African heritage.

Each of the seven days of the festival features a different African value: Umoja (Unity); Kujichagulia (Self-determination); Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility; Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics; Nia (Purpose);  Kuumba (Creativity; and Imani (Faith).

The festival has no overt religious content though some celebrants combine it with their Christmas festivities.  Nothing about the festival seems to be directly incompatible with Christianity.  Some criticism of the festival is based on its collectivist impulses.

The Tree and the Hill

In our restroom at work we have a dry-erase communication board on which someone drew a picture of a several wrapped presents under a Christmas tree. The multicolored drawing is actually quite good, not just "cute."

Adequate, but not great, artist that I am, I added behind the tree a hill topped with three wooden crosses. My addition lasted for several days before someone erased it, leaving the tree and presents. I'm sure they were offended; the gospel is offensive to the world.

Non-Christians (and many Christians) love Santa, the brightly decorated trees, the elves, the mistletoe, the sleigh, happy snowmen, and the spiked egg nog, especially the spiked egg nog. They have no idea what Christmas is about. Christmas was/is the preparation for Easter. From the Beginning of the World, Jesus was coming to die so that we might live. The Gospel, the "good message" or the "true message," is not that Jesus was born in Bethlehem but that He was murdered and rose from death, defeating death for us.

Henny Youngman One-liner

"I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays."

Henny Youngman (1906 - 1998)