As such, when I first learned of the Pagan origins and continuing traditions of what we call Christmas and other mainstays of modern Christianity, I recoiled in horror and went on a campaign to address the truth of the matter. As a result, I brought pain to my family, alienated my friends, and destroyed the very credibility I sought to gain. Why? Because, as I found out the hard way, nobody really cares about the origins of our cherished traditions – that Christmas is a retread of the ancient Roman Saturnalia celebration of the Winter Solstice. To the rest of society, it was an opportunity to brighten the winter darkness with shining lights and year end profits. It would be better for all of us to learn how Paul turned the panoply of false gods into a powerful introduction to the Gospel.

Did Paul do as we might have and gone about in an iconoclastic rage? Did he lecture the Greeks on the sinfulness of their vain traditions, thereby shutting ready ears to any future preaching? No, far from that, he made use of the situation to segue into an introduction of the one true God.

What a powerful example to us all. Instead of whining about the origin of Christmas, how it’s been polluted by the profit motive, or wondering just why we sacrifice a perfectly good fir tree in the name of Christ, we should celebrate what a wondrous open door false tradition has opened up to us. After all, if the birth of compassion and mercy had been kept tightly wrapped up in priestly robes, we should have lost an excuse to proclaim Jesus in a sectarian forum. What other religious traditions are allowed within the doors of our school system, on the squares of our courthouses, and embraced by those with no other ties to Christianity.

It seems to me we should take this opportunity to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" in using the open forum of accepted tradition to further expand on the real story behind the fables. And, as for those of you who firmly hold to the accepted traditions but gnash your teeth at how "the heathen" make a mockery of Jesus’ birthday celebration, there’s not enough happiness in this world as it is. Why not embrace the sponsorship of the year end cheer of giving, and ascribe it, as in a commercial announcement, "this party has been brought to you in the giving spirit of Jesus? By the way, the next round is on me. Gather round as I share with you what it’s really all about."