I’ve always loved Christmas, but this year I found myself looking at some aspects about the holiday that I truly do not like at all. This year we stayed home, thanks to the weather and the fact none of us are that healthy at the moment. That meant I got to watch far more festive TV than I normally do. The results were… mixed. Yes, the sentimental silly Christmas movies are fun, but after a week of them I started to feel like the god worshipped at this holiday is… Santa.
The modern commercial world wants us to exchange miracles for credit cards and prophets for profits. We are being left with an emptiness and pointlessness to the day that no amount of manic spending can ever fill. We stands in terrible danger of forgetting that love really is the greatest gift of all.
I found myself longing for less red-jolly HOHOHO-ness and more Peace on Earth. I wanted angels and shepherds instead of half price sales and strange men in fake white beards. I wanted the true magic of Christmas back; the miracles and the wonder…
I wanted the hope that one baby just could make this world a better place.
that one person, one birth, really can make a difference.
Could there be more perfect a story for our present day than the story of a family forced to travel due to political red tape and rising taxes? A baby born in a makeshift shelter because the inns were overbooked? And what could be more wonderful than the fact the angels went out and told the shepherds about the birth. Not the rich or the powerful - just shepherds; everyday, ordinary people out working into the night.
To me the shepherds seem to represent so many people out in the world right now. The overworked and underpaid… or unemployed. All those everyday folk who feel invisible and unappreciated. I can’t think of anyone more deserving to see angels than those who think they’re too insignificant to matter, can you?
Or, as someone I know wrote recently:
"No matter what your faith or beliefs Jesus Christ gave to the world his message of love and everything flowing from it, which will not be faulted to the end of time."
Glynn Williams
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I totally agree with you. In Indo, 'coz we don't give gifts on Christmas nor do we have Christmas meals, Christmas feels more like what it should be: the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. But here in Finland it feels like what you've described in this post. It's all about Santa and spending. So I LOVE this post!
ReplyDeleteThe modern commercial world seems to be so secular...nothing is important except for money.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder other religions look askance at our 'Christian values'
I am so with you on this...I wanted to shout "Amen!" in my now quiet home...lol...so much is lost these days unless you work hard to stay focused on these things you write about here...it's hard not to get pulled into the secular or worldly way of thinking and get down and out about Christmas and all it entails. As someone who did not have a single dime to spend on gifts, food or anything Christmas this year, it forced me to really take a look at what I believe...and how I was going to react during this time with little ones.
ReplyDeleteBut, some how we did it...with the help of some angels they had some gifts to open...we truly were blessed during this time...BUT it was hard...you can hardly turn the tv on without being bombarded with things that could have stressed us out or made us depressed but we made a conscious effort to not let it do that to us. I, like you, have nothing against Santa as I try to teach my kids that Santa represents a giving heart. But, it's not the most important thing...over this time we have had some of the coolest conversations about Mary, Joseph, the angels,shepherds, Jesus, and the wise men.
Thank you for this post! Hope everyone is feeling better! XX
Amel
ReplyDeleteThank you. :-) I think you were lucky to grow up with a sane Christmas.
Hi Andy
It's a constant fight to keep your perspective in the modern world, isn't it?
Wishing you a healthy happy 2011. :-)
x x
Hi Jennifer
Very true about 'Christian values'.
Lori
Thank you. :-)
Your own post about your experiences shopping really do hit home at the same thing.
It must be so much harder nowadays with adverts for toys constantly on TV. I really think they shouldn't allow adverts aimed at children. it's just not fair or moral.