Criticizing clerks' holiday greeting is not an example of faith in action

Thank you to Ruth Ann Dailey for her column "Be a Good Christian: Say 'Happy Holidays' " (Nov. 16) in response to the American Family Association boycott of the Gap. It saddens me that so many fellow Christians get so worked up when store employees say "Happy Holidays."

I fear that too many Christians are indignantly and angrily saying "Merry CHRISTmas" to anyone and everyone they can. Instead of sharing the love of Jesus, I fear such comments simply make more people feel like Christians are self-righteous and obnoxious.

"They'll know we are Christians by our love" goes the song; I don't sense a lot of love in the AFA boycott. If someone gets upset about a teenage checkout girl at the Gap saying "Happy Holidays," I can't help but wonder if they've been spending too much time at the mall and not enough at church.

I've never felt it was the job of a mall clerk to nurture my faith. I find it ironic that those who emphasize "personal responsibility" feel like it should be the job of store employees to proclaim the faith. We Christians are the ones with that job, and our deeds carry a lot more weight than our words.

 

REV. CHARLIE BERTHOUD
Bethel Park

 

 

The writer is the senior pastor at John McMillan Presbyterian Church.