Christmas Is Dying. Christmas Will Never Die (part two)

Does a public Christianity that is hollowed out by consumerism help us see the need for a pluralistic, inclusive spiritual revival in our society? This question and more, in this second part of our show “Christmas is dying, and Christmas will never die.”

Be curious. Go deep. Shed light. These are our core values.

Please invite your friends and family to subscribe to “What In God’s Name” (go to https://www.whatingods.com/how-to-listen/). The bigger we grow our audience, the better we are able to make the argument to potential partners and funders that there is an appetite for searching, open-ended conversation on current events and culture from a philosophical/theological perspective.

We want to join with all people of good will, who desire to strengthen our connections to one another and create a healthy society, for us and for our children. That doesn’t mean having easy or cheap agreement: it means engaging in searching conversations where differences are lifted up, and used creatively to deepen connections and shed light.

Here are timecodes to help you navigate through today’s show:

01:05 Shayna asks: For those for whom Jesus is God incarnated on Earth, was that event an answer to the people’s lament of that time? And if so, how do we account for God’s presence or absence from the world now?

02:31 Chris characterizes Shayna’s view of human nature as being “rosy,” and faces the consequences. “This Harley momma ain’t so much into ‘rosy.’”

05:35 Saying “Merry Christmas” versus saying “Happy Holidays”: some further thoughts on when to use one or the other. When we greet people, who is the greeting for?

11:08 “I smell smoke,” says Shayna. “I’m thinking,” answers Chris. Chris shares his gut feeling that our society needs a spiritual center, a feeling accentuated in this time of year when public Christianity seems hollowed out of spiritual value. Shayna asks why it needs to be just one, singular, center—why not plural centers? Searching conversation ensues.

15:43 Can faith communities be places where we learn to get along with, if not love, people we disagree with? And then, can people who have developed these muscles within faith communities help this diverse country, religious or not, do the same?

19:10 If anyone wants to breed their dog with Arlo, our shih-tzu show dog, Shayna declares him eligible. Contact Shayna on our Facebook page, or via email whatingods@ribeye-media.com.