A friend commented today that her husband doesn't like Christmas. The overshadowing commercial aspect can seem like a cloudy overcast that creeps in earlier each year, hardly allowing time to ponder the significance of Thanksgiving. Stores transition overnight from Halloween displays to Christmas decor. No, I take that back. This year I noticed it slipping in right after the July 4th Independence Day celebration. That's half the year devoted to Christmas prep! Of course, the longer the prep becomes, the thinner the wallet becomes. Good news for the market. Not such good news for the budget.
The sad thing about it, though, is that most of the preparation is for the non-Christian aspect of the holiday rather than for the birth of Christ — even for those of us who are Christian. Yes, we say we give gifts because the wise men brought gifts to Jesus, or even that we give gifts to represent that Jesus Himself is THE gift to the world. But, in reality, the focus tends to be the temporal gifts, not the Eternal Giver.
The act of giving is one aspect that intersects both the cultural and Christian spirit of Christmas. Today it's cast more in terms of "gifting," but referring to it rather in terms of "giving" brings a spiritual aspect to our generosity of the season. And letting it flow beyond family and friends, letting it reach out to those who are in need... that is truly the heart of giving at Christmas.
Yes, we are in the world; we are in our culture. Yet, we do not have to be OF it. How we celebrate Christmas depends on our mindset and the inclination of our heart. Christmas as it is today is part of our culture, and we can enjoy the festivity of it with family, friends, and neighbors, yet view it with eyes that see our own Christmas meaning.
So we don't withdraw from the celebration, but rather, we add our own voice to how it's celebrated. Forgo the holly jolly Christmas cards and opt for ones that share the story of Jesus. We have a manger scene in our yard, and the first Christmas when our new neighbors moved in, they commented on it. The following year they had one in their yard.
I recall going to a Christmas party a few years ago where one of the games was to wander through the house and see if we could determine the number of nativity scenes the host had sitting around. They had collected more than 40 of them over the years! If you have children at home, beginning a tradition of adding a nativity each year would enhance your intent to bring Christ central to it. Advent activities are also a good way to bring Christ into focus as we await His birth.
And, then, there's the music and the movies that strengthen one aspect of Christmas over another. Let's face it, Rudolph just doesn't make my list. Besides, the bottom line to the movie is that in order to be accepted into the group, you have to be brought in by somebody important. Having a shiny red nose is, well, just unacceptable... until the popular guy says you've got what it takes. While some Christmas movies don't rise much higher than Rudolph, there are still many good movies and documentaries that will encourage your festivities as well as your faith.
And, of course, worshiping with our local church congregation each week, the singing of carols, the Scripture reading of the coming of Christ, and sharing in the anticipation of advent is first and foremost on our list for a joyous, contemplative Christmas season.
Christmas need not be discouraging if we look more with spiritual eyes than with cultural ones. And if we listen with ears attuned to the melody of Jesus in the jingle of the bells.
Though creation may be a majestic organ of praise,
it cannot reach the
compass of the golden canticle—
Incarnation!
There is more in that than
in creation, more melody in Jesus in the manger,
than there is in worlds
on worlds rolling their grandeur round the throne of the Most High.
- Charles S. Spurgeon
Image via pixabay
