With our culture going crazy for the holidays right now I wanted to address a common discussion. What it can be to be in the world, but not of the world. This can be a hot topic for many, and even a very in depth one! It can continue on to infinity and be viewed in a dozen ways, for some it is a fine line, for others it is a mile wide gap. Today I will be presenting my own current view, which I'm sure is as subject to change with time as anything else.
So my aim is to teach my children that while we are not of this world, being children of Yahweh, we must learn to live within it. That can mean at times being minutely involved in what is going on with society. At times it can mean hiding under a rock. At times it can be enjoying ourselves with what is going on. How we figure out how to handle these things can at time be tricky.
For us this then comes down to a few key questions, in order of importance:
1. Does doing this action offend or honor Elohim?
2. Is there any violation of the Torah in this action?
3. Will I be able to share about Yeshua in doing this action?
4. Is this action inherently religious, or sociological?
5. Is doing this action Beneficial to myself or others?
So from there let's go through some common holiday examples in North American culture. Starting with the big one, Christmas. I find it a more complicated issue as there are two sides to it, the religious side and personal celebration, and the societal involvement. The first side is fairly straight forward, it does offend Elohim to worship him in the manner of pagans and not in the manner he perscribes, which also violated the Torah, so personal celebration is out quite quickly. Never making it past the first few questions. But the other side of the coin is how Christmas has become a pervasive part of society. Unless you are able to lock yourselves away from the outside world for well over a month you simply can not turn a blind eye to the environment it creates and must learn to address it. So, for example Sarynna taking part in her Choir. This is a program she is in for her music class with home schooling, it's a town public children's choir so not a religiously based program, but it takes part in all the functions in town. Does singing secular holiday songs offend Elohim? Certainly not, it is a benign action. Does it in any way violate the Torah? Nope. Is she able to share about Yeshua? Absolutely! And she has. At six years old, when they first started practicing the songs, she told the teacher (in front of her whole class) that she didn't celebrate Christmas, that Yeshua's birthday was on Trumpets, and that she loves God. Now, at six I have zero doubts this was done with all manner of tact missing, we're working on that, but it does show how easily it can be done; and now she has an opening to discuss Yeshua with all of her classmates should they ask. Four is a clear question too as parts like this are inherently sociological, and such event are devoid of religion, there is a fine line to something like Grayson doing the church's Christmas play however. We did permit it under the understanding that while he is playing a wiseman (which weren't even at the nativity... pet peeve) they are not bringing such things as Santa etc into this, keeping the pagan out of the celebration. Plus it opens the doors with him to discuss about the true nativity, and he can share that. Ultimately as well this action is beneficial to both the children and to those around them. Sarynna can continue with her choir and lessons without having to miss two months of practice, her choir doesn't suffer the loss of a voice at their busiest time, and she can share with them the love of Yeshua through her action of putting their need above her own. Grayson helps to put on a play showing the ultimate love Abba gave us through sending us Yeshua, assisting the others in doing something already limited for actors.
So another major issue, Halloween. Right off the bat you're darn right it offends Elohim! We are told explicitly in scripture to have nothing to do with the darkness, and celebrating it exceeds that by far. There is absolutely no reason to even try to tone it down, or find some balance with such an event that is inherently against Yahweh, inherently against Torah, and inherently evil. It is slowly, sadly, growing into a month long production but unlike Christmas it is easily ignored. It has not (as of yet) snuck into everything with no ability to avoid it. And even if it was, it can not pass the first two questions and thus should be kept well apart from believers.
We've gone over the two big hot topic, and I'm going to skip Easter for the purpose of this post, finding it repetitive, but I do want to show an example that goes outside of the mold of the prior two. Thanksgiving. Or something like New Years. Do they Honor or Offend Yahweh? Not inherently. Our actions on those days might (getting drunk, gluttonous, etc), but celebrating them is benign on it's own. Doe sit violate Torah to celebrate them? No, but again our actions in celebrating may well do so, so avoid those. Will I be able to share about Yeshua? Of course, no less than any other time, and the opportunity may arise more on such a day as Thanksgiving when we can be thankful for all he has done in our lives. Such holidays as these are sociological, in no way religious or even linked to it, so we aren't celebrating something which honors a demon, an idol, or worshiping Yahweh incorrectly. Is doing this actions beneficial? On a selfish level absolutely, but also on a level for others. For many people a holiday like Thanksgiving is a time for family to join together and remember fond times, express their love for each other and their blessings. The greatest commandment is Love, showing us how welcome it is to bring something like this into our lives and take part whole-heartedly.
There is far more than just the holidays at state in this matter however. It can be something as small as the names for the days of the week, or the names of the months! Many believers draw issues with such things as the days of the week are all named for pagan gods and godesses. But does this honestly offend Yahweh? A knee jerk reaction would say yes but further inspection actually says no. See, the names of the times doesn't affect Elohim, its a cultural matter. 1 Kings 6:8 says, The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the house; a spiral staircase went up to the middle floor and on to the third. Showing us that even scripture uses the name of a pagan deity as the name of the month, but has nothing to say on that either way. To further show that is not something which affects Yahweh, the name he gave us for the first month, Abib, according to Exodus 13:4 and 23:15, was changed to Nissan after the Babylonian captivity as we see in Nehemiah 2:1, but never once is this addressed as an issue. So we have absolutely no reason, scripturally, to believe that the names of the days or of the months offends Yahweh. Does it violate Torah? Nope, there is no command about these names. Can we use them to teach about Yeshua? Yes, in people finding that we start the day evening and then morning, that we do Shabbat rather than Saturday etc they naturally get curious; opening doors for us to witness and explain. This is something that is sociological at this time, no matter the original usage. I know some of you are still going, but Pagan, and you're not wrong, but the names of the days alone is not enough to shy away from it. After all, the names where never used as a specific worship practice, but to mark days to do so. Using the name is no longer encouraging the old practice. And if you wish to dismiss everything simply because it can be tied to some pagan root or another I'd advise consistency and removal of your wedding rings, calendars, any sociological device that once could be loosely tied to a religion beyond the God of the Bible. But we all know we can not live in this world without being able to function on the same calendar so we must find the balance, and see that it isn't the pagan that we must shy away from on it's own, it's the relation to Elohim. Have nothing to do with the dark, yes, but a name alone does not the dark conjure. Does this action benefit me or others? It benefits me greatly to use the common calendar of my society! It benefits those around me not to cause confusion and create unity, smoothly allowing me to live in our society.
Then of course comes up the concept of Sunday Church. Some are so soured against it from their change over to following Torah that they harbor bitterness, which violates that same Torah! A sad turn. The fact remains that we are told repeatedly within scripture to gather with others who follow Yeshua, and that many of us who follow Torah do so in areas where we are relatively secluded. Nobody will ever agree 100% theologically and doctrinally, won't happen no matter the church you gather with, so why are we blacklisting gatherings simply because of one part of that doctrine? Scripture repeats that to follow Torah isn't a salvation issue, so why are we making it one? Now, I'm not saying abandon Shabbat services, on the contrary if you can access them or do a home group that is an amazing blessing! Even if you can't a private time to do your own time with Yahweh is vital. But those in the first century met on every day of the week, Tuesdays and Sundays are even listed a few times in Acts for gatherings! To gather on the Sunday, in addition, is certainly no issue and should not be labeled as one. It is against the scripture which shows that the Apostles themselves met on that day - in addition to Shabbat. It is not one or the other, it can very much be both and. It can be difficult to find a church accepting of our largely different way of doing things, but should you find one, as we have, I do encourage you to fellowship often and learn of the other aspects the Bible offers us through those teachers. The funny thing is, many condemn Sunday services simply because our culture has used them to replace Shabbat, however, because scripture models for us that meeting on Sunday is acceptable the persons condemning Sunday Service is actually going against scripture in doing so - for the sake of being counter culture! Ironic. But what of the five questions? It certainly doesn't offend Yahweh to worship any day of the week, nor does it violate Torah. It does open many opportunities to speak about Yeshua and share with believers about Torah and why you keep it! It is religious, of course, but a modeled action for us to follow and it benefits us greatly to gather with others and worship and learn together.
Birthdays are another one which seem to come up in some circles of Torah Observance. The world around us loves their birthdays! I do understand some of the arguments people against them have, like how society seems to use birthdays to idolize self. Another argument is that because it's not in scripture we shouldn't do it, but that is hardly an argument in itself. Driving a car isn't in scripture either but I'm sure they all ride in them just as well. Does celebrating a birthday offend or honor Elohim? Neither inherently, the actions there in can do one or the other, making the event itself benign. Is it against Torah? Certainly not. Can we share about Yeshua? Absolutely! The Event is sociological, and always has been. Some may scream that they can find pagan ties, but the truth is that celebrating a birthday has always extended beyond that, used by many cultures and religions through time and thus always been inherently sociological - no matter the traditions that may or may not (nothing can be proven, most of it is made up) have gotten in. Even if pagan traditions did sneak it is a moot point, as to use them in a sociological stance is not to use them for Yahweh or to worship another, and thus a benign action - just as the days of the week. Finally, it can certainly be beneficial to gather with friends and family. A birthday should be about showing the special person how loved they are by you, celebrating that Yah gave us another year with them. You aren't worshiping that person, or if you are there's about a dozen other issues involved, you are appreciating them for who they are in your life. To give a gift, if you choose to do so, is to show them physically of that love and appreciation.
Ultimately the balance is going to up to each family and individual, but I have found that those five questions are the easiest way to know if something is worth doing or not worth a passing glance. It isn't an exhaustive list of examples of how to apply the questions by far but I do hope it adequately explains how to bring them into your own search. I hope they help you in finding your path, in finding your balance on living within the world and while not being of it, being set apart and Holy as he is Holy.
