To Non-Christians at Christmas

As Christians celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth, I usually write this column “To Christians at Christmas.” But it occurs to me that there are people who might be interested in knowing about Christianity if they knew what Christ would bring to them. As I thought about what I should write this year, the verse in the Bible came to mind: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”  
As a rule, I feel disrespectful to you writing in this column about Christ, believing that it would be inappropriately asserting my beliefs. In the Bible verse above, I feel cautioned not to do that. So why is this column focused toward non-Christians? Well, rightly or wrongly, I’m looking at my prior hesitation differently at this moment, and it is for this reason: the headline of this column is addressed to non-Christians; if you had no interest at all, you’d not have read it. 
Let me return to the verse above. As a Christian, I’m encouraged to have on the tip of my tongue the joy and fulfillment I have through Christ. First, I know that if I talk to any other person on earth about cheerfulness, I have their attention, because no one desires to be unhappy. So since we are all trying to find happiness, you would not be inclined to reject my happiness unless you felt it was based upon artificial grounds.
While there are many people with higher IQs than mine, I can console myself that I am quite analytical. Let me assure you, I have to believe in the soundness of an argument before I can accept it. Perhaps your pushback from Christianity is that it can’t be proven scientifically. Very little of what we believe to be true can stand that test.  In mathematics, we can prove that 2+2=4. However, very little of life can be reduced to what can be counted.
A man pushes himself to achieve, and in striving, he or she finds fulfillment. It is not the attainment of a goal itself which conveys the contentment. A person may strive to accomplish financial success and take great pleasure in gradually reaching it. However another might inherit a fortune and thus feel that he has no reason to apply himself – but in the process, he has been deprived of the opportunity to attain his self-worth. How do you quantify these feelings? Much about life cannot be added up like one can count the number of peas in a jar, for example. 
I cannot buy the argument that we have to reduce our understanding to that which man has scientifically been able to prove to this point – because as much as man knows, he learns every year that he knows very little in comparison to what he doesn’t know.
Even if one were to accept that life is more than what can be proven, does that mean that Christ is, in fact, the savior of the world? After all, there are many religions. Yes, and many religious leaders brought many truths to live by, but their leaders did not claim to be God himself.
God made us a promise:  “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” I have sought him and found his promises to be true – he does bring love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness to our lives.