PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, and a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

I have come across two pieces of writing in the last few days that, to me, summarize the true meaning of Christmas, a holiday season whose purpose can become all-too-commercial, all-too-quickly.

I could write my own thoughts, but these do an excellent job of representing what I think. So, I repeat them here.

One, which deserves top billing, is from my wife, Nancy, who writes our annual Christmas letter to friends and family (which, by the way, is a tradition worth preserving).

In the aftermath of senseless tragedies in Paris and San Bernadino, here is how Nancy concluded our Christmas letter this year:

“As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we remember that Jesus was born into a world of hatred and injustice and ISIS-like violence not unlike ours: Despots trying to eliminate rivals, Herod’s slaughter of the children of Bethlehem, even beheading…It’s all unbelievably current. We choose God’s peace within (Philippians 4:6-7), our wish for all of you in 2016.”

The second piece was written by my friend, Dick Hughes, editorial page editor of the Salem Statesman-Journal, in his column December 20:

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Why Americans should embrace ‘Happy Holidays’

As I left the coffee drive-thru on my way to Corvallis on Thursday, the barista declared, “Happy Holidays!”

As I headed along Highway 99W, a sign told me that wine was the perfect Xmas gift.

As I entered Corvallis, a billboard urged me to keep Christ in Christmas.

The billboard is what confounded me.

Oh, I know the concerns: By using generic winter holiday sayings and symbols, companies and clerks are undermining the true meaning of Christmas. In response, good-intentioned Americans are battling what they see as a secular war on Christmas

Despite the outcry over Starbucks’ changing the generic, non-religious design on its winter beverage cups — to an even-more-generic design — I had thought the fight about Christmas seemed less intense this year. But on Saturday, I read about the Texas agriculture commissioner who threatened to slap anyone who wished him “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”

Not quite the Christmas spirit.

Not quite the biblical understanding of Christmas, either.

Two thoughts:

First, Jesus Christ cannot be taken out of Christmas.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of God incarnate, God who came to earth in the form of his son Jesus Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary in a humble manger in Bethlehem.

That’s pretty heavy stuff.

Second, if there is any danger to Christmas, it’s the over-commercialization of the day.

Writing in “Christianity for Dummies” — I hadn’t realized there was such a book, although it seems fitting in our simplistic society — Richard Wagner says, “Most of the traditional customs of Christmas, such as gift giving, tree decorating, light hanging, and feasting, come from sources other than the Church.”

The early Church was not particularly concerned about celebrating Jesus’ birthday. History does not even document when he was born; Dec. 25 was chosen arbitrarily.

Neither does the Bible specify how many wise men visited Jesus, Mary and Joseph, an event that occurred sometime after his birth. This fact, however, was lost on a woman who many years ago called my mother to ascertain the appropriate color of clothing for each of the three wise men.

If I correctly recall this episode from my youth, the woman wanted to portray the wise men authentically. Good for her. However, she was upset when Mom explained that the Bible did not specify the wise men’s color coordinates. And then Mom had the audacity to mention that the Bible did not specify the number of wise men. The woman, apparently considering Mom a heretic, hung up.

Yay, Mom!

As for the X in Xmas and other references, historians indicate the letter sometimes was used to denote Christ, just as a fish was and is used to indicate followers of Christ.

I’m not fond of the term Xmas, maybe because it bugged my dad, who was an American Baptist minister. Xmas looks tacky. But it’s not anti-Christmas.

And I’m glad that stores and coffee shops proclaim, “Happy Holidays.” It’s a tribute to our growth as a society that we recognize not everyone celebrates Christmas for what it is.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holyday to those of you who are believers.

And Happy Holidays to all.