For some reason, we have received quite a few comments, pro and con, written and verbal, regarding our placement of Rev. Kevin Haj’s Christmas message on the front page of The Lincoln County News Dec. 23, 2010 edition.
To be honest, the depth of the reaction this year is a little surprising because this is a long-standing practice for us. As we have every Christmas for the last 22 years, we ask a Lincoln County minister to compose something with a Christmas theme for our readers.
Why this one seems to have drawn more attention than any other is a mystery, but it apparently has.
Every year our request is the same: It is up to the individual to decide what they submit. It could be a sermon, a parable, a homily or just a simple letter to the flock; we don’t tell them what to write. Each year, we print what we receive on our front page, above the fold.
Rev. Daryl Lavway, one time pastor of the Damariscotta Baptist Church, composed our first Christmas message in 1988.
This year, Rev. Haj of the First Baptist Church of Jefferson was kind enough to respond to our request. In 2009, Rev. Nancy Duncan of Broad Bay Congregational United Church of Christ did the honors. Rev. Tom Wagers of the Lincoln County Assembly of God was featured in 2008. Rev. Michael Peterson, then interim pastor at Damariscotta Baptist Church, was featured the year before that.
We thank them all for their assistance.
As of now, we plan to continue our practice and hope to offer the same opportunity to every pastor in the county at least once before we repeat anyone.
By design we are a secular newspaper. Every day we recognize the existence of, and abide by, the principles of journalism ethics. Every week we strive to report straight news in an impartial manner. Our body of work speaks to that effort.
However, the family that has owned this paper for 90 some years now are devout Christians; the vast majority of our readers were reared in the Christian faith and we recognize we are citizens of a nation born in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Given the singular importance of the Christmas holiday, we are comfortable continuing this Christmas tradition of our own.
