The Christians and the Pagans (and an uber-liberal folk singer thrown in for good measure)

In the second installment in my series of "non-traditional Christmas songs" I have selected a Song by the Folk Singer Dar Williams: "The Christians and the Pagans." Those of you who grew up listening to college radio are probably familiar with this song already, it is a song about a pagan lesbian couple (Amber and Jane) who go to visit their Uncle (Tim) and his Family. Being devout Christians, they are a bit hesitant to have 2 pagans over for dinner, but the evening ends well and the general message is that we all have common needs as humans that one person can get from one personal faith as much as someone gets from another. I picked this as my second selection because it is one of the only songs I can think of that actually deals with two religions during the holiday season and not just various reinforcer to Christians reminding everyone how great the holiday is.
Before proceeding, I should qualify by saying I like Christmas as much as the next person and a little reminder of why we like it should not be scoffed at. However, I also find it kind of interesting that a holiday like Christmas which is admired for how it brings families together to share in a common joy can serve to divide since a person may have a different religious belief or hold the holiday in a different regard from someone else. For example, in the song Amber calls her uncle to see if they can stay with him for the evening and he expresses reservation because it is Christmas and "...Our life is not your style."
I also think this song is apt because the modern celebration of Christmas has roots in the original religious practices of indigenous European people (which many modern Pagans draw influence from). The evergreen (the traditional Christmas tree) is a Celtic symbol of enduring life during the winter in which everything dies. The "Yule Log" (before being made into a desert) was a popular Christmas tradition in 17th and 18th century Europe is believed to come from the traditional beliefs of Germanic peoples.
At my church, when we do communion the pastor notes we are different but a commonality among us is our need for food and (therefore) why the symbols of bread and wine were used by Jesus during the last supper. Therefore, it is my hope for this Christmas season that I focus on not who celebrates Christmas and who doesn't but on what is common among all people and our needs that cause us to seek fulfillment in whatever religion. This is also in the song as Jane tells Tim's son that they are not Christians, but they love the world, their friends, and many other things Christians do.
In closing, I would like to share the last lines as the song which serve to tie the two faiths together by the similarities rather than their differences as food for thought:
"So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old, Making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold."