There was a day when society supported Christmas. Remember Charlie Brown decrying “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” which launched Linus into a recitation of Luke 2? Sadly, those days are gone. Instead, we have ‘Shrek the Halls’ with a reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to promote a holiday whose significance is fulfilled as long as families are together and Santa shows up. It’s a touching film indeed, but simply incomplete.
Anyway, here are Pastor Marc’s three encouragements for a more meaningful Christmas this year...
Give to invest, not to impress. The difference is huge. When we give to impress we give wanting something for ourselves in the transaction. These givers say the gift is solely for the recipient, but in reality they want to make sure the recipient knows who it is from and they want to be part of the event of opening the gift. Those who give to impress don’t like giving if they can’t be witness to the gift opening and when they cannot be there they are tempted to “follow-up” on how well the gift was received (or get upset when they don’t get an appropriate response). People who give to impress often feel disappointed if the recipient doesn’t respond as anticipated (or likes another gift more). Then the giver, still hurt from the year before, either tries harder to impress or gives up altogether. Sometimes those who give to impress feel an urge to reveal the dollar amount spent on a gift, “vain!”
Those who give to invest give in sacrifice for the benefit of the recipient. These investors often take a lot of time considering the gift, not because they want to “wow” the person, but because they want to communicate understanding and love. They also tend to find gifts that last and can even enrich the life of the recipient. The dollar amount is less important and investors know that bigger dollars don’t make up for ill-planned gifts. Often a $5 investment gift is more significant than a $50 gift given to impress. This why gift cards can sometimes be most thoughtful (when given to fulfill something the person cannot do for themselves or to accommodate preferences) and other times be so lousy (when given out of lack of thoughtfulness). When we give thinking bigger dollars results in better gifts we reinforce the message that love is spelled M-O-N-E-Y.
This year, aim to invest rather than impress.
- You may find that skipping a gift giving opportunity all-together and investing in those who have real needs to be the best solution.
- How about a card with more than a signature on it? Give the gift of words to someone. I guarantee this will be more profound than a Chia Head or maybe even an iPad. I can still remember specific kind words spoken to me many years ago.
- Reconcile a relationship. That may be easy on the pocket-book but certainly not cheap. Reconciliation perfectly personifies God’s purpose of Christmas. Jesus came to redeem!
- Finally, give up on trying to keep it even according to the dollars spent on each individual. It’s a strange and twisted way to measure the holiday.
Go to worship. Is there any better day in the year (except Easter) to attend worship? In fact, it might be best for the Church to consider holding a special Christmas-day worship service every year; regardless of what day of the week it falls on. Ever since angels sang in the heavens, Christmas has been a day of worship! The Son of God became human so that humans may become Sons of God - how profound and worthy of our response! Being together with family is wonderful, but it’s significance pales next to Christmas’ true message. So, as a family, go to worship!
Adopt the spirit of the real St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas lived in the 4th century and many miracles are credited to him. But, he is most known for his generosity. This was sometimes displayed in his habit of placing coins in the empty shoes of less-fortunate children. One account records St. Nicholas as anonymously provided the dowry of three poor girls, lest they never get married and become prostitutes to make a living. The legend is told that he did this by tossing a bag of gold coins in the window of the girls’ home the night before each came “of age.” After the second gift the girls’ father caught on and tried to learn the identity of the philanthropist. So, when it was thought that the gift might arrive for the third daughter the father stayed up until late at night. To avoid being caught by the father, St. Nicholas tossed the bag of coins down the chimney and it landed inside the youngest daughter’s stockings which were hung on the mantle to dry.
Whether or not the details of the story are true is beside the point. Charity toward those less fortunate was St. Nicholas’ modus operandi and he’d be disgusted to see what his image has become today - the international symbol of materialistic greed on a day that is shamelessly promoted for “me, me, and mine.”
It won’t matter what you or anybody else calls a tree, has a tree, or what tops that tree if we do not make the effort to preserve the sanctity of Christmas in our own lives. Go ahead and get gifts, but do so intentionally, and not out of compulsion or pressure to please (make a list). And, invest some real time and prayer into your gifts. Enjoy the precious love of family, too. But know that you have permission to break from the societal norms and come untainted by the ‘holiday season’ to visit the lowly stable and marvel at the miracle of a baby who is the King of all Kings, the Great High Priest, and the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb.
Marc
