The Holiday season, is my favorite time of year! I love the lights, the movies, the food, the time with family, watching my kids play, and how everyone is just a little nicer. But, sadly this comes with a price. Every year, we try to "outdo" ourselves from years past. We try to give bigger presents, we try to put more people on our Christmas Card List ("Hey, I ran my shopping cart into your leg at the grocery store...can I have your address so I can send you a card???). We try to find the perfect toy for our kids, nieces, nephews, and so forth. We try to find meaningful gifts for spouses or partners. And the whole time, we don't like doing it.
Most people, when you ask them what they want for Christmas, will say they don't really want anything. Or that they just want some family time. But yet we insist this person is just being modest, and we buy a present anyway.
I'm just as guilty as the next person. I think my wife and I spent at least 2 hours in the toy aisles to find Christmas toys for our 2 young children. Trust me...with 3 sets of grandparents, a loving church family, and an extended family, these children do not lack for toys. Heck, my daughter right now is playing with a plastic case that holds toy cars...not the cars...she's playing with the case.
Whenever you ask if people enjoy this rush/run-around/'more, more, more" attitude, the answer is often a definitive NO!. But yet we do it.
We know that Christmas is Jesus' Birthday...not ours. We know that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season," but yet we lavish presents on others. We "don't have time" to go to Church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day because there is too much running. And, before anyone gets made at me for saying this, before I became a pastor, and Christmas Eve became part of my "job," I did the same.
Why do we do the things we don't like to do? Why do we break our bank accounts to buy toys and gifts that will either a) not be used, b) break, c) sit on a shelf or in the closet after a brief period of enjoyment? I will admit that I have cut back, but I still feel like I have to buy the "perfect gifts."
What are we afraid of? Are we afraid that if we don't get the "perfect gift," people won't love us? Are we afraid that life won't be complete if we don't please everyone at least materialistically?
Maybe we're wired that way? How often do you hear the following: "Hey, this tastes nasty...try it." Or "Wow, this hurts...do it." Are we so masochistic that we do things we don't like in some act of self-sacrifice? If that's the case, then why don't we buy for the homeless? Pay a bill for the poor? Then we can spend our money, not exactly like it, but accomplish something positive.
I don't have an answer as to how to Simplify the Season. Parties are fine. Presents are fine. But, they've come to dominate us rather than be true expressions of love. What happened to the days of finding 1 meaningful present (homemade, pictures, poetry, etc.) and giving that to the ones we love? Sure, kids can have toys. But, do they need toys that cost more than most houses?
I don't have the answers...I have the questions...What can we do?
Wonderful just wonderful. I have a few simple answers that has made my life easier around Christmas time. 1) stop putting up the christmas tree. I know sounds like a horrible thing to say but if you understand that the fir tree that is placed in our homes every year have nothing to do with christmas it is a symbol of a pagan holiday for the winter soltice which is why the "christian church" adopted Dec 25th as Jesus "birthday" to entice pagans into the church. Do not take this as blasphemy I love JESUS and everything about his coming to Earth as an infant and growing up a sinless life to be crucifed on a cross for a sinner like me, I didn't deserve it which makes it an even more priceless gift. Focus on JESUS not christmas. 2) I told my children when they were young; My daughter was 6 my son was 9 there is no Santa Claus if anyone is to blame for the constant need to buy for someone it is to keep up the tradtion that "santa thinks your a good boy/girl and you deserve this nice stuff" attitude might I also add that santa has nothing to do with JESUS notice JESUS is more important to me and my family to worry about the nice things in life. If he needs me to have certain things in life he will make it possible either it being the money to buy something OR he gives someone else a nudge to give it to me.
ReplyDeleteThese things have release a great burden on my heart to over due buying gifts and such. Now I still try to buy something for the kids and for my wife because I LOVE them not because its christmas. This is my thought what are yours?
mclorivan@gmail.com
For the most part, I agree. There are a lot of different "spins" people put on the tree (some say the pagan symbol - others say it's strictly a Christian symbol) - I tend to agree with the pagan symbol turned Christian to attract pagans (like you said). Having said that, much of our Christian customs have origins in Pagan practices. The important part (to me) is that we've adapted them to make them Christian. Of course there has to be a limit...I'm not into human sacrifice or anything like that...even if it's done in the name of Christ. And if that's what he wants, he will have to do A LOT of convincing for me to accept it. (Yes, I'm joking...somewhat). I have no problem with Santa as long as Jesus is kept as the focus. Whenever we talk about Christmas (my kids are 2 and 5), I ask them what Christmas means. My 5 year old knows it's to celebrate Jesus' birthday. My 2 year old will be ready to begin to understand that in a year or so. As to it being Jesus' actual birthday, I doubt it. It probably has pagan origins, but there is also an ancient church custom that Mary was told she was going to have Jesus 9 months before Dec. 25, and this is the closest we can get to his actual birthday. Again, I don't put much belief in that, but it's out there.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm not ready to get rid of the tree...It reminds me of Jesus (even with the Santa ornaments along with the Jesus ornaments). A lot of it is probably like a "security blanket" like some little children carry. And I know that security is in Jesus.
What does bother me is the feeling that people feel they "have to" buy buy buy. Giving is great, but time is better than things. Memories are better than toys. Because God created us to be in communion with Him and with other people. Even the ancient Jewish holidays involved a lot of community along with worship of God.
I know I'm not directly answering what you're saying. There are a lot of parts of this where I just don't know where I stand on the issue. As I give up more and more to Christ (and I think this must be a lifelong process), I find that my opinions change (not on the important things like faith, but on things like this issue).