Continuing Christmas Evangelism During This Ongoing COVID-19 Crisis

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It's the Christmas season where it seems Christians are still arguing non-stop about whether or not they should celebrate it if they're allowed to celebrate it, or if is Christmas pagan. Unfortunately, some of the Puritans (such as Arthur W. Pink) have gone too far with the whole Christmas debate. Charles H. Spurgeon himself had a love and hate relationship with Christmas. What I'd say is that while Christians may be spending too much time debating about Christmas - they fail to see evangelism opportunities like there is during Halloween. I do agree Christians are not to decorate their homes like the heathen on Halloween - I don't think anything is wrong with Christmas decorations. How many times do we need to tell you that Jeremiah 10:3-5 is not about Christmas trees? As Christmas approaches this COVID-19 season then it's time to really say that Christmas evangelism still needs to continue.

The idea of a wonderful, magical Christmas is absurd. Andy Williams' song "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a magnificent, bloated lie. Try going to the mall or driving during Christmas and discover how sinful people can really get. You can see people fighting over items during the Christmas season. You can see children demanding this and that during the Christmas season. You have parents punishing their children for lying while lying to their children about Santa Claus. For children, a trip to the mall to see "Santa Claus" together with all the gifts and toys make it the most wonderful, magical time of the year. What's ignored is that disasters (and even death) happen on Christmas. Christmas is just like every other regular day. That means good things and bad things can happen during Christmas. One gets a Christmas bonus and other happy news. The other ends up spending their Christmas bonus because somebody got sick or even died on Christmas Day. Yes, Christmas season deaths or even Christmas Day deaths are very real. Some people have a good excuse not to celebrate Christmas if it brings back sad memories. 

The real wonderful message in the midst of Christmas stress is that the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners from their sins. True, there's really no proof that Jesus was born on December 25 nor is there any real record of when He was born. I don't really care if Jesus was born on December 25 or not. It turns out that December still has people in Israel who still pasture their sheep. It doesn't matter when Jesus was born - what matters is that He was born so He could live a perfect life and die for the sins of mankind. Mankind is still rotten to the core yet John 3:16 is the message all year round. God the Father so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son for the salvation of sinners. Christmas stress has been compounded by COVID-19 infections so the more the opportunity to evangelize is there.

How can Christmas evangelism be done in the midst of the pandemic? Christian churches participating in the relief operations are still there. Christian workers who are doing what they can to help others during this time of year can show they make a difference. It's not just giving that once-a-year Christmas charity but the whole year-round charity. Mass gatherings may be prohibited to prevent the virus from spreading but it doesn't mean Christmas evangelism shouldn't happen. Christmas is regarded as a secular holiday by many. People are losing hope as the COVID-19 epidemic isn't going and Christmas is going. Them losing hope because they put their trust in worldly things can be an opportunity to present Jesus to them as true hope. Not everyone is going to believe because many don't see themselves as lost sinners. Charles H. Spurgeon during the London cholera outbreak evangelized also to the sick and dying. Many people are going to have it worse this Christmas. Christmas is a time for suicide and despair for the homeless. It's even worsened by the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. 

Evangelism can make a difference because somebody's life may be changed to turn away from the worldliness of the Christmas season towards the holiness in Christ for all seasons. COVID-19 is ruining all the worldly expectations this Christmas so why not continue evangelism by any reasonable means? However, it should be a warning not to keep talking about Christmas being worldly or pagan. True, pagan feasts also happened on December 25 yet the Reformation also happened on October 31 which is a date for the celebration of another satanic holiday. I heard October 31 was also the celebration of Samhain by the Druids. Yet, Christians can celebrate the Reformation on October 31 while witches celebrate Halloween. I don't see any reason why Christians can't celebrate the birth of Christ without the pagan nonsense. The message of Christ becomes more urgent daily with or without a pandemic and even when it's not Christmas.

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