Merry Christmas! Or Not?

"Merry Christmas!"

You're offended?

But I'm wishing you a Merry Christmas?

Would you rather have a Rotten Christmas?

Christmas is here, and I wish that you would enjoy it.

You're not a Christian?

So, you're not going to live through the day with the rest of us?

If you're going to skip over the 25th, let me know and I'll wish you a Merry Day-After Christmas, or something.

If you would rather be less than merry on Christmas, then I will wish you get a flat tire in a blizzard.  Oh, but then you would apparently be pleased with the calamity and you'd end up merry anyway. And I don't want you to have a flat tire in a blizzard.  That would be awful!  Is it OK if I wish you a non flat-tire-in-a-blizzard Christmas? Cause that's essentially what I mean when I say Merry Christmas.  No flat tires, no accidents, no lost wallets or cell phones falling into toilets.  I hope your shovel doesn't break and your ham doesn't burn and your kids play nice.  I wish that you don't lose it with your spouse, or get drunk, or scream at that obnoxious uncle of yours.  I hope you don't go to bed with loneliness or wake up with a jerk.  May you have everything you need and be warm and well-fed.

Maybe you wish me a Happy Holiday.  Well, thank you!  I know our wishing stuff for each other doesn't really carry much power, but I certainly appreciate your kind intent.  Perhaps you will elaborate a bit.  If you think about it, what do you actually wish for me?

As a regular person who is also now a Christian, I simply want to share what I have found with you.  Like a debtor who has discovered an ever sprouting money tree and now has his bills all paid off, I wish to share my good news with you, and I hope you will come and take a good look at that tree for yourself.

Ultimately, I wish that your sins would be admitted, your guilt removed, your chosen-by-default destiny without God cancelled, and a joy that you've never known or imagined would be gained as you decide to be offended by your own rejection of God's gift and then, accept the redeeming work done by that little incarnation of God's perfect love that we recognize sleeping in the hay.  Wow!  That is one long sentence!  Can't I just say "Merry Christmas!?"