My disenfranchisement of the winter Holiday season is a journey in and of itself. Simply, I have come to a place where as a Christian I believe this season should be more than gluttony and consumerism. Don't get me wrong, I love a good meal with friends and family and I love to give and receive gifts. There is something uniquely satisfying in giving someone something special and seeing the joy in their life. I believe this comes from the fact that God created us to be relational and to be joyful and generous givers. But, the slew of recent Holidays seem to take all of that to a perverse and exorbitant level.
As I mentioned earlier, I believe that this season should be something more to the Christian. The longer I travel in my journey with the Lord the more concerned I become with the health and general physical and spiritual well being of other people. I cannot simply sideline Jesus' words, "To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And to love others as yourself." (Matt. 22:36-40) in this season when I should be clinging to and living them out more and more each day. I also cannot in good conscience look at the wealth of my life and demand more; when others have so little and in fact many barely have enough for tomorrow. Jesus' words weren't "Be greedy and make sure you take care of number one!".
As Christians these winter Holidays should be more about giving to the poor, the needy, the hungry, the oppressed, taking care of the widow, and caring for the fatherless, than getting more stuff to store in the basement and max out the visa with (see Isaiah 58). This is not a culture rant. I do not expect culture to ever change the way it celebrates this season. This rant is with the church and with my life as a Christian. Particularly, how we celebrate this season. Jesus has redeemed us; and we have been changed in our hearts and called to live a life of righteousness by Him. What better a time to do this than now and what better a season to be generous to those that are really in need?
My Holiday mantra is not "Bah Humbug!" it is, "Let me live more like Jesus and love other people more and more each day." I am not a perfect example of Christianity (quite far from it) and I don't have this Holiday thing nailed down. But somewhere inside of me something is crying out... "It has to mean more than this!"
