Dear Readers,

Last week a reporter for a major news agency contacted our office, and two of the questions he asked about his topic struck to the heart of a larger issue: Do people really seek spiritual depth, or do we prefer to be content with shallow understanding?

He was writing an article titled "Christians Who Don't Keep Christmas," and the two questions were:

1. What are some of the major theological and scriptural problems with the Christmas holiday?

2. How important is it for Christians to consider those problems when deciding whether they'll celebrate Christmas?

Now those were great questions!

We were happy to answer, because as you may know from past articles, we have addressed those issues more than once. Not that it always pleases our readers! There truly are "theological and scriptural problems" with Christmas, but sometimes people say we are being provocative when we point them out. Some say it takes all the fun out of Christmas to even ask such questions—or worse, to see the answers!

All we are trying to do, though, is to be true to God's Word—to go beyond the shallowness of modern life by offering a depth of understanding about what God really says.

Shallowness is eroding the heart of the religious community today. Numerous surveys over the past few years reveal in several ways a decaying spiritual condition. For example, a majority of Americans describe themselves as deeply spiritual, but far fewer say they are committed to Christianity. The majority does not believe in absolute moral truth. Rather, most people have bought into relativism, the philosophy that truth is relative to the situation or person. Many of these are professing Christians who believe in the Bible, but actually rely less on God's Word, and more on their own feelings, emotions and experience, when it comes to determining right and wrong.

One report I read concluded that even the terrorist tragedy of 9/11 did not result in a lasting change in "spiritual practices" of Americans, such as going to church services, Bible study or prayer. Less than half of Americans said their faith had played a significant part in helping them deal with the 9/11 tragedy.

Some sociologists have also observed that most people today avoid grappling with the deeper issues of life, preferring to be content with shallow ideas and thinking.

I suspect, however, based on the interest you have shown in our message, that you are excited about deepening your understanding of the world around you and what the future holds. I suspect that you still respect God's Word and have not devalued His opinion, as so many others have. I suspect you find it hard to thrive spiritually in a world that offers little in the way of spiritual depth and substance.

When you dig past a shallow exploration of God's Word, you find depth—answers to all of life's biggest questions and challenges. Things like: What is the purpose for life? What happens after death? What is God doing with humanity? How can we live in peace and have happy marriages and families, conquer problems and have a wonderful relationship with Him? God gives answers to all these and more.

We will continue to be committed to helping you explore God's Word in ways that are relevant and that will make a difference in your life.

Until next time, may God be with you,

Clyde Kilough
President
United Church of God