I was driving through the Starbucks drive thru (aka Mecca) the other day when I noticed that the truck (this IS Texas after all) in front of me had a bumper sticker that said PUT THE CHRIST BACK IN CHRISTMAS. As we all know, the Christians have been a minority that has been persecuted in this country and as a result feel the constant need to remind us of this fact. The CHRIST never left CHRISTmas. He was just avoiding the religious right.Then yesterday on my way home I drove past the Islamic center near our house and they had one of those message boards out front, like the kind you see in front of high schools that usually say 'Go Wildcats'. But this one said 'Congratulations on the birth of Christ'. WHAT?! First of all, was that a secret plea for no one to vandalize their center? And secondly, is Mary really getting all these kudos all these years later for giving birth? In a few hundred years will the local temples be congratulating me for doing such a splendid job giving birth to Sam and Ben? Is Mary singled out for extra homage because she had to go through childbirth without at least getting to have the fun of conception? I know what it is. It's because she went without the epidural, isn't it?
Putting the Christ Back in Christmas
in portraits