When I was younger, I hated Christmas. First of all, we had no family in Canada and second of all, in the years following my parents’ divorce, it seemed like my parents’ “friends” all decided that it was too awkward to invite us over because they didn’t want to choose sides. I think mom and I spent nearly a decade of Christmases alone, just the two of us. Some years, we prepared a turkey, some years, we give each other presents. But each year, I dreaded the 25th, and wished with all my might to fall asleep on the 24th and wake up on the 26th so that we can hit up the malls for the deals.
I know lots of people must feel the same way about Christmas, or even more strongly about it than me. Christmas as it exists now is an empty, albeit sparkly, shell; a faint shadow of the original intended glorious celebration. The first Christmas wasn’t about turkey, eggnog, sleigh bells, and especially not about psychotic materialism and parents feeling the need to spend hundreds to dollars to win the love of their ever-increasingly ungrateful children.
What disturbs me the most is how the original Christmas story has been systematically replaced with a story about a sleigh pulled by flying reindeers, and a fat man of nordic-descent showering “nice” boys and girls with all the presents that their little hearts desire. Presents that will probably lay at the wayside (or heaven-forbid in a landfill) in a couple of months; presents that were probably made by young people in developing countries who are paid a few measly dollars a day, and who have never heard of Christmas.
The original Christmas was about God choosing to enter into mankind and live among us during a dark and scary time in our history. He chose to be born as a vulnerable baby, to a couple of modest means. While Mary was pregnant, she and Joseph had to travel on foot and by a donkey, for months through tortuous terrain to get to their hometown of Bethlehem to be counted in a mandatory census. By the time they got there, the entire town was full and Mary was forced to give birth in a stable among horses and asses, manure and straw. God, the Almighty, surely arrived into the world under humble circumstances. Why? What for? But this was only the beginning…
In the next three decades, this little baby would grow up to become one of the world's most popular and controversial prophet and teacher, who taught and lived out his message of love, mercy, hope and peace. Supposedly he worked miracles, healed the blind, the deaf, and the lame. Supposedly he showered compassion and love onto the rejects of society and rejected the religious institutions and rhetoric of the time. Supposedly he claimed to be God; that he was God’s love manifested, and that through him, all people will come to know the truth and finally be at peace with their Creator and with each other. His message was one of hope, compassion, redemption, forgiveness and peace. The life and ministry of Jesus was the ultimate example of a life well-lived with God and of self-less generosity and service to fellow men.
Two thousand years later, the world is still a dark, wretched and scary place for many of us here and especially in other parts of the world. The world is still filled with violence, persecution, poverty, and excruciating loneliness. Santa Claus only cares about whether you’ve been naughty or nice, but the story of Jesus might actually provide a glimmer of hope for those of us yearning for more joy, peace and especially meaning to our lives.
Hark the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing"Glory to the newborn King!"
Christ by highest heav'n adored, Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing"Glory to the newborn King!"
Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing"Glory to the newborn King!"
1 comment:
I'm reminded of the joke on an episode of the Simpsons where a character remembers the true meaning of Christmas, "the birth of Santa Claus". Highly inaccurate but it's what it has become for some people.
I don't think it's fair to Santa that you've simplified his significance to corporate materialism. The spirit of Santa is rooted in something deeper than that. The act of being rewarded for good behavior (at least to me) is no different than being rewarded passage to heaven. It just seems that Santa rewards short-term behavior while Christ rewards long-term behavior.
My problem with Santa lies in the fact that he gives coal to the naughty children. Though it's kind of useless now, back in the day coal could be used to keep themselves warm. That hardly amounts to any level of suffering for their naughty behavior. Perhaps, Santa should stuff lashings in their stockings.
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