Happy Holidays...er, I mean Merry Christmas.
The majority of American Christians, over the years, have secularized and commercialized Christmas and turned it into an orgy of gift buying and receiving. The public shops with a thermometer stuck in them as the media tries to figure out its mood and whether or not spending will surpass last year. People throw each other to the ground to get to a reduced-priced electronic item. Magazines tell us how to avoid putting on weight during a time of traditional overindulgence.
And then their noses get out of joint when people call it the holiday season, so that even those who are not Christians will have an excuse to do all of the above. For those of devout faith who truly celebrate Christmas, December 25th, by going to church and eschewing all the gaudy trappings, I applaud you. But, let's face it: everything that happens between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the Holiday Season.
posted by Amiko at 11:52 PM
2 Comments:
I have a feeling you expected me to comment on this entry. Now I'm sitting here pondering, lol yes pondering, just which road to go down.
First I applaud that you didn't generalize and throw all Christians into the lion's den. Secondly, I agree wholeheartedly that the commercialization and secularzation of Christmas has nothing to do with the true meaning of the Christian faith. I think you would find however, that those who squawk the loudest about calling it the holiday season are the first to jump on any topical bandwagon that comes down the foodcourt at the mall. Again I have to say that the Christians doing the most good for their faith, are not the ones you are likely to see or hear in the media. The people who are living their faith are the ones behind the scenes taking gifts and meals to shut-ins and the children of less fortunate families. They are the ones who willingly donate a week or longer with no pay to help rebuild the homes of the victims of Katrina and other horrible disasters. You'll find they are the ones that gladly and quietly donate time, resources and money to make the world around them a better place. These are not the ones seeking attention or glorification for themselves, but rather living their faith in silent anonymity, practicing their faith and not just giving it lip service.
But after reading your insights this would be my Christmas prayer for myself \:
..forgive me my gaudy trappings...and deliver me from faulty reasoning...lead me not into the temptation of over consumerism and help me not to judge my fellow man, as I would not wish to be judged. Help me to walk in faith with eyes and heart wide open to those around me in need....knowing that whatever good I do is just a reflection of the good that Christ has done for me.
not to be preachy..."but we have all failed and come short of the glory of the lord",.....Romans 3:23
12:56 AM
There's nothing that you said that I disagree with. I hope what came through in what I wrote is that to say that that one aspect of the Christmas Season (i.e., someone innocently wishing a Happy Holiday in order to be inclusive) is taking away its true meaning is to totally ignore everything else that is going on. Hell, I even wish everybody a Merry Christmas.
9:36 AM
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