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When my wife and I named our first baby, we drew from a ton of different last names. We stuck to last names not only because we liked the way they sounded, but also because they had a deeper meaning and significance to us. Some names sound strong, some pretty, some sound old-fashioned, and some sound biblical. Parents tend to choose names that reflect who they want their child to grow up to be.
This is also true for groups, including the early Church. A name they gave themselves was “followers of the Path(Acts 9:2), summarizing their fundamental identity as followers of the one true way to God in Jesus Christ. But another name ultimately remained: that of the Christians. “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch» (Acts 11:26). This label defined them by their adherence to Christ.
Throughout history, groups within the faith have adopted names emphasizing distinctive attributes. The Puritans aimed to cleanse the Church of corruption. The separatists, instead of reforming from within, separated themselves entirely from what they saw as an irremediable institution. In America, we remember separatists as pilgrims, emphasizing how they traveled to a foreign land to practice their faith unhindered.
The Methodists became known very early on thanks to their methodical approach to biblical disciplines. Baptists insisted that only believers should be baptized rather than infants. Whatever the name or its origin story, there is an underlying meaning and set of assumptions attached to it.
Unfortunately, over time, the term “Christian” has largely lost its meaning. Now, qualifiers such as “cultural Christian,” “born-again Christian,” “progressive Christian,” and “practicing Christian” attempt to clarify the definition. Some occasional fringe groups even co-opt the name “Christian” to promote twisted agendas contrary to the real life and doctrine of Christ, thereby causing further confusion. The only accurate test of our Christianity is to examine the way we live.
What is your name?
So what name would an outsider give to your worldview based on observing your life patterns? What assumptions about your beliefs could materialize? Do your behaviors match what you profess every Sunday in church? Or is there a disconnect, hinting at hypocrisy or misaligned priorities, between your stated belief and your actual conduct? Essentially, does your personal brand match that of Christianity?
As we enter a new Christmas season and prepare to be visited by unbelieving friends and family, what image of our faith will they come away with based on first-hand observation of our celebration? What overall impression of Christianity will interacting with us create in their minds and hearts? Will they view true followers of Jesus as materialistic, hollow, hypocritical and superficial? Or might they conclude that the lives claimed by Christ possess substantial meaning, moral integrity, and altruistic character?
In many ways, traditional Christmas decorations can tempt us into such skepticism. Unbelievers expect frenzy and stress when visiting our homes in December. The feverish accumulation of gifts fuels the idea that Christians crave materialism as much as any culturally influenced consumer. Sweating through mile-long baking, cooking, decorating, and to-do lists suggests that believers, too, are constantly giving in to exhaustion and anxiety. We express exhortations of good will toward humanity while fighting politics and grievances with the same unbridled venom as anyone.
Evaluate yourself
Yet this is precisely where the opportunity to confront these assumptions lies. We can be patient in the midst of chaos, not because we are gritting our teeth, but rather because God’s perfect love resonates in our hearts, driving out fear and anxiety. This year we can refuse the obsession with hollow materialism, not out of simple courage, but by fixing our eyes on the true gift we were given that first Christmas morning. Kindness, caring, understanding and compassion can flow easily from us over the next few weeks, not because custom demands polite family banter, but rather because the Spirit of Christ fills and nourishes us every day. after day.
In other words, we have the opportunity to live our Christianity authentically instead of just making claims about it. Doing so requires evaluating our actions this season through the lens of outsiders looking in. And when we see a disparity between what we say and what we do, an adjustment is necessary because actions always trump words as the true test of what someone fundamentally believes.
This certainly makes the Christmas party more complicated. This means examining every topic of conversation we allow through filters like: “Does this reinforce superficial stereotypes that an unbeliever might already harbor about Christians?” This means evaluating activities and discussion topics based on what they highlight about our values, priorities, and beliefs. This means retraining knee-jerk reactions to annoying loved ones, less about anger or arguments and more about understanding them as souls in need of a Savior, not adversaries needing to be won over by superior facts or zingers. And considering even the simplest logistical decisions like meal options and schedules, through the filter of their impact on our ability to meaningfully connect with these divine appointments specially placed before us this holiday season .
A special opportunity at Christmas
We certainly don’t want to limit this to one season per year. Unbelieving friends and family members likely only remember what they witness when it is modeled consistently, not what flashes briefly once a year.
At the same time, something about Christmas specifically highlights values and beliefs like no other holiday on our calendar. So while authentic Christianity is never limited to the month of December, the opportunities offered during this season uniquely capture the attention of the observer. The imagery and symbolism explicitly refer to the Gospel. Christmas carols magnifying the nature, character and work of Christ strike chords in people’s souls at this time of year. And justified hopes like “good will towards men” Or “peace on earth» with strategic conversations about the Prince of Peace’s strikes while the iron of human desire shines.
Ultimately, Christmas offers casual Christian acquaintances an annual glimpse into the meaning, motivation, and priorities that mark our entire existence. For some unbelieving observers, brief holiday exposure to siblings or friends may be their only direct contact with true Christianity. What we express, prioritize, and value during this season shapes their perception of faith, likely determining whether they look closer or turn away forever.
So, with Christmas on the horizon, let us accept the holy calling to become image-bearers demonstrating through word and action what it means to be a rooted disciple. As we stand alongside the watching world this December, may the resonance of Christ in us inspire unbelievers to hunger more for the joy, purpose, community, grace, and real flourishing that flows from our Savior into every crevice and crevice of our daily life. And in the family chaos ripe for misunderstanding, may the message of Christ prevail over all else, always bringing conversations back to the common ground we all share: that two millennia ago, the Light pierced the darkness to reconcile humanity once and for all to the God of all comfort, restoration, justice and peace.
