day no. 17,411: hot opposition and cold collaboration

"Christmas has suffered much less from the heat of fanatical foes than from the coldness of frigid friends." — G.K. Chesterton, Christian Festivities and the Termite State (1935)

The war of Christmas is fought on two fronts. 

Hot opposition often calls the sons of the season to arms, but cold keeping quenches the fire of the season. An honest hater can, of course, do some damage, but not nearly as much as a dishonest lover can. If Christmas is under attack, it is an inside job. Thoughtless repetition is like a steady stream that wears away at the rocks. The solid, long-standing traditions of old are gradually glossed over, streamlined, and buried under a constant barrage of current. Fashions and fads drown our forefathers out. Christmas has much less to fear from those who take it seriously enough to fight it than it does from those who take it so lightly as to forget its origins.

"Fanaticism only encouraged the devout to be defiant, and they resolutely repeated it as a ritual; it was much more in peril of death where people only repeated it as a routine." — G.K. Chesterton, Christian Festivities and the Termite State (1935)

Those who are violently opposed to Christmas call the saints to war. They inspire the saints to Christmas even harder. The devout should not, however, need opposition to get excited. The goal should be to win over our opponents without everyone growing accustomed to the season by turning the yuletide into a yawn fest. Hot opposition is better than cold collaboration, but best of all is warm fellowship with God and each other.