In recent years there seems to be an annual battle in the US over what Christmas is all about. Some seem to want to remove all references to Christ, or to make the season a generic holiday that caters to people of all religious backgrounds, while we Christians often loudly protest and strive to keep Christ as the focal point. I mention this not to weigh in on what I think is the appropriate response American Christians ought to have in this battle, but simply to set in contrast to the Japanese view of Christmas. Because in Japan, despite the fact that Christmas has become a wildly popular holiday in recent years, virtually no one knows why they celebrate it.
As near as I can tell, Christmas was introduced and made popular in Japan, not by Christians (as of now there are not enough Christians in Japan to popularize the celebration of Christ’s birth), but by retailers. Department stores in Japan saw a huge opportunity to increase sales by capitalizing on the popularity of American culture and importing the Christmas holiday (and shopping season). And as you would expect, it’s all Santa Claus, snow men and Christmas Trees, without even a hint of Christ; in fact few even knows that Christmas is actually the celebration of Christ’s birth.
On the one hand it’s sort of sad that when a country like Japan looks at the way we Americans celebrate Christmas they only see materialism and a marketing opportunity. But on the other hand, God lets nothing go to waste. While there are millions of Japanese who are getting ready to celebrate Christmas by shopping and looking for a romantic partner to spend the night with, there are also a few Churches, Christians and missionaries who cherish this time of year to joyously celebrate the coming of their savior, and look to share this joy with the millions of lost people surrounding them. Be praying for the individuals in Japan who will hear the gospel for the very first time this Christmas. Be praying for the churches to have successful outreaches. Be praying that the Holy Spirit will move in people’s hearts to respond to Christ’s calling this Christmas and that they will never celebrate it the same again. Finally, be praying that God will send more missionaries to Japan to work along side the small indigenous churches in Japan to share the hope of salvation through Christ Jesus in the coming years.