How Christians feel at Christmas

Imagine being in love with someone who ignores you eleven months of the year, then suddenly seems really into you. Instead of elation you feel a weird form of pain as your beloved finally smiles on you, and finds you interesting, for you know that it is just a seasonal thing, and that frosty indifference waits in the wings.

This is a bit like how Christians feel at Christmas. Our ruling culture finds the idea of worshipping Jesus Christ embarrassing, absurd, offensive. Or in fact it normally doesn’t bother feeling these things, it just shrugs with boredom. And yet for a few weeks it gives the appearance of venerating the little guy in the manger, buying into the myth that he brings hope for the world. It’s not a matter of going through the motions, pretending to believe, for there is no motive for such outward conformity these days. At Christmas a large proportion of atheists and agnostics really do experience a sentimental sort of semi-belief, though they wouldn’t admit to it.