Rethinking Christmas
I have been having trouble getting into "the Christmas spirit" this year. Admittedly, gift-giving is not my love language, although the thought, effort, and sacrifice that go into certain gifts definitely touch me and cause me to cherish those gifts. And I do like finding the perfect something that I know someone will love, because it's meaningful in all the right ways. But I see how much we (the collective "we") have, and how little others around the world or even across the tracks have, and I can barely stomach all the frivolous spending, especially when we do it under the auspices of Christ.
I don't want this post to be a rant, but American Church, I think we've dropped the ball. I think we've become exactly like the world in this holiday celebration and simply tack on a little Jesus or "Merry Christmas" to make it more palatable to our consciences. Yes, Jesus is, without doubt, the greatest gift we will ever get, given from our loving Father. And God truly delights to give us good things (see Matthew 7:11 and James 1:17, among others). I've heard those arguments for why we celebrate Jesus' birthday by giving material gifts, not to Jesus, but to each other. And I don't want to negate the fact that a sacrificial or simply thoughtful gift is a reflection of the generosity of our Father.
But I love what Ann Voskamp says, "God gives God. He withholds no good thing from you. And the good things in life are not so much health, but holiness; not so much riches in this world, but relationship with God; not so much our plans, but His presence-- and He withholds no good thing from us because the greatest things aren't ever things." The greatest things aren't things! So why are we trying to share "the real meaning of Christmas" - that the greatest "things" aren't things - by spending the Christmas season buying things??
At the time of Jesus' birth, which Christians say we are celebrating at Christmas, Jesus left all of His riches and came to earth as a tiny baby, born in a cow stall to poor refugees. He lived a life of poverty, not even having a place to lay His head at night, much less indoor plumbing or a PlayStation. So, in celebration of His birth, why are we not renouncing our riches at Christmas and taking up residence with the poor? Or at least giving more to them than we give to our friends and family who have so much they necessitate articles such as Consumer Report's "Gift Guide for the Person Who Has Everything."
Let's rethink this and come up with a new way to celebrate God With Us.
John 1:
"The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish...
We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
[But] this one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made him plain as day."
(excerpts from The Message)
I don't want this post to be a rant, but American Church, I think we've dropped the ball. I think we've become exactly like the world in this holiday celebration and simply tack on a little Jesus or "Merry Christmas" to make it more palatable to our consciences. Yes, Jesus is, without doubt, the greatest gift we will ever get, given from our loving Father. And God truly delights to give us good things (see Matthew 7:11 and James 1:17, among others). I've heard those arguments for why we celebrate Jesus' birthday by giving material gifts, not to Jesus, but to each other. And I don't want to negate the fact that a sacrificial or simply thoughtful gift is a reflection of the generosity of our Father.
But I love what Ann Voskamp says, "God gives God. He withholds no good thing from you. And the good things in life are not so much health, but holiness; not so much riches in this world, but relationship with God; not so much our plans, but His presence-- and He withholds no good thing from us because the greatest things aren't ever things." The greatest things aren't things! So why are we trying to share "the real meaning of Christmas" - that the greatest "things" aren't things - by spending the Christmas season buying things??
At the time of Jesus' birth, which Christians say we are celebrating at Christmas, Jesus left all of His riches and came to earth as a tiny baby, born in a cow stall to poor refugees. He lived a life of poverty, not even having a place to lay His head at night, much less indoor plumbing or a PlayStation. So, in celebration of His birth, why are we not renouncing our riches at Christmas and taking up residence with the poor? Or at least giving more to them than we give to our friends and family who have so much they necessitate articles such as Consumer Report's "Gift Guide for the Person Who Has Everything."
Let's rethink this and come up with a new way to celebrate God With Us.
John 1:
"The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish...
We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
[But] this one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made him plain as day."
(excerpts from The Message)
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