We often hear a lot about things Christians consider forbidden. Certain foods, alcohol, tattoos, certain music, various movies, even Christmas is considered demonic by some. We've all seen this battle. But what I don't see discussed often enough is the flip side. What about things we are all expected to participate in?
Liberty has two sides. You not only have the freedom to participate, but also to abstain. Those who don't want to celebrate certain occasions are just as free not to as you are to celebrate them. Those who don't want to eat certain things do not have to. Even church is somewhat optional. Now, don't misunderstand me there. I know everyone's got Hebrews 10:25 in their minds right now. However, I am not saying we should neglect to meet together regularly. But let's be honest here: There are many equally valid options there.
Think about your own church. When do you usually hold services? My church used to have one morning service at 10am on a Sunday, then an evening service at 6:30pm that same day. This was changed several times, then the government decided to hold us hostage for fear of a disease, and now we're down to just the 10am service on Sunday. But a lot of my friends, aside from the Sunday morning service, also attend mid-week services on a Wednesday. Before I started talking to Americans so often, this was a new concept to me. Are my friends wrong for attending the midweek services? Is my church wrong for not holding these services? No to both.
Other churches don't even have Sunday services. They meet on a Saturday, as they believe this is the Sabbath day, and so it's when they ought to meet. Are they wrong? No. Are me and my friends wrong? Also no. Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, all valid, as are the rest of the days.
Ultimately, Christianity is not a religion of compulsion. When you encounter a Christian with different traditions than you (and believe me, unless you live under a rock, you will), do not judge them. Love them as your spiritual sibling, as they, too, are covered by the blood of Christ.