Keep the Merry, Dump the Myth

Each year around Christmas, people who do not believe that Christ is the Son of God spend money on advertizing denying the birth of Christ the Savior. This year is no exception as this bill board is up in New York’s Times Square. I do find it ironic the American Atheists use a Saint as a symbol of their unbelief! The fact is that people began dismissing Jesus’ authority as the Christ 2,000 years ago.  

Matthew 13: 54-59, “Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.’ And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”  

Christmas offers a great opportunity to share what you believe beyond the presents, the tree and the eggnog. Throughout the Book of Acts, the Disciples of Christ shared their faith with kings, priests, lawyers and politicians. They did not mince words or tell people what they wanted to hear. They were guided by the Holy Spirit and spoke the truth of the Scriptures. Consider Philip, who shared the Gospel with an Ethiopian official returning from a faith sojourn (Acts 8); or Stephen, who spoke before the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Israelites (Acts 7) and finally, Paul explaining grace to kings and their courts (Acts 25). 1 Peter 3:13 says that we should, “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” I was called to give an answer to someone that I never believed gave a thought about matters of faith. 

When police officers work with partners, it is generally as part of a specialized team like detectives or special enforcement unit. One of my first partners was one of the best cops I ever worked with and yet as abrasive as an insult comic. I worked with Jim for over a year. He was an old school, street cop. If he was a journeyman officer, I was the apprentice. I can say that I learned the craft of policing from Jim. However, beyond the street cop expertise, Jim was difficult to be around. He was brash and irreverent. He was more likely to tell you to jump off a cliff (using very different words) than to show compassion. He exploited any weakness or shortcoming for his personal amusement. You did not want to be the target of his course jesting. There were some long days riding around in the police car together. When it came to faith, Jim relied on himself. He knew I was a believer and if the subject came up at all, it was usually because Jim was giving me a hard time. 

One December night, we were driving in downtown Santa Barbara and drove past the Paradise Bookstore. Jim turned on a side street and parked. He didn’t say a word but left me sitting in the passenger seat and went into the business. I waited a few minutes, got irritated that he was shopping and followed him into the store. I found Jim standing in the checkout line holding a set of books titled The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Now this was weird. C.S. Lewis is considered one of the most accomplished Christian writers of the 20th Century. The Chronicles of Narnia is a children’s series of seven books that centers on the character of Aslan the Lion. Aslan is representative of Jesus Christ. What would Jim be doing buying this particular set of books? 

I walked up and stood next to Jim and commented, “So you are buying The Chronicles of Narnia?” 

“Yeah, so.” 

“Well, The Chronicles of Narnia is a Christian allegory. If you read those books, you might become a Christian.”

Since we were in the checkout line of a crowded bookstore, Jim told me what he thought under his breath and I left the store smiling. It was not very often I got one over on Jim. We got back in the car and resumed patrolling the streets. After a few minutes, Jim says, “So what is Christianity all about anyway?” 

I was stunned. Here was a guy who went out of his way to ridicule and demean me almost daily. He was now asking me about what I believed. I thought for a moment about how to respond. Ok, fine. I figured that he would let me have it when I was done so I would hold nothing back. 

“You want to know what Christianity is all about Jim? Here it is…” 

I started with Adam and Eve and talked about the fall of man. I talked about the consequences of sin and how we are separated from God. I told him about Israel, the Exodus, the Ten Commandments, the prophets, the birth of Jesus. I described the crucifixion and the meaning of this final sacrifice. He listened to story of the resurrection and the meaning of grace. I ended by telling him that we all have a choice and that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We will all be judged and without salvation we risk going to hell. I held nothing back and presented Christianity from a cop’s perspective: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How. I stopped talking and waited. 

After a few moments Jim said, “I haven’t done anything wrong.”  

I said in a matter of fact tone, “Yes you have,” reminding him of something he did do wrong. Something few people knew about, but it was known nonetheless. He knew it too. It got quiet in the car after that. We never spoke again about faith. He would continue to be crass and rude in the days that followed, but there was a change in that Jim stopped mocking me for what I believed.