Social research group McCrindle have found that more than 90% of Australians believe religious traditions and symbols should be given a public presence at Christmas.

Nativity scenes, angels and Christmas carols are all seen as things which should be given space in the public sphere at Christmas, with 51% believing they should be strongly encouraged, and 41% believing they should be somewhat encouraged.

The results indicate people are not just willing to tolerate the religious symbols of Christmas, but want to encourage them, with only 3% strongly discouraging them.

What it means to believe in the virgin birth

Theologian and author Stanley Hauerwas on Mary: “How extraordinary it is that we know the name of our Lord’s mother! The time we live in as Christians is not empty. It is a time constituted by Isaiah’s prophecy that a particular young woman will bear a son whose name will be Immanuel. It is a time constituted by a young woman named Mary who was chosen by God to carry and give birth to one fully human and fully God. It is a time that is made possible by Joseph, her husband, who trusted in what he was told by the Holy Spirit. It is that time in which we exist. It is a time that gives us time in a world that thinks it has no time to worship a Lord who has Mary as a mother.” Read his piece up on ABC religion here.

Why we need the Christmas story
CPX writer Simon Smart explores on ABC’s The Drum about our need for redemption: “The baby in the manger tells us that the baby in the drain is worth rescuing; that the homeless alcoholic whose life is in ruins deserves respect and care; that the life of the illiterate peasant is as valuable as that of the prince; that the asylum seeker from a faraway land is worthy of costly hospitality and protection; that the demented old woman who can’t speak or remember her own daughter is owed care and attention.” Read his piece here.

What would Jesus say about consumeristic Christmas?
Sam de Brito (non-Christian columnist) writes about the challenge Jesus makes to consumerism on his birthday: “A lot of the things people like to tell us is the “word of God”, Jesus also didn’t mention… but he did rather pointedly declare “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God”.

Serial and the darkness inside us all
And one last link, this time not Christmas-related. Have you listened to the extremely popular podcast Serial? Here, Mike Cosper over at The Gospel Coalition blog ponders what Serial can teach us about original sin, our common humanity despite our falleness and our longing for justice. “Innately, as image bearers of God, we can’t help but care about injustice. In Hae’s case in particular, blood speaks. It spoke from the ground where Cain killed Abel, and it speaks from the ground in Leakin Park where Hae’s body was found. It cries out for justice.”