My heart has been heavy as I have read numerous articles regarding the absence of Christmas in the Season. I have heard from both sides, those who lament the vacancy and those who would cut of my nose so as to not offend another. I am afraid that the real truth is that Christ was removed from Christmas long before Holiday Trees and The Hanging of the Greens.
At the time of Christ, His birth was not celebrated. As the centuries rolled along and the powerful churches of the Middle Ages utilized the existing celebrations to create an excuse for promogating Christianity, Christmas was generally regulated to a Church Service commemoarting the His birth. The modern traditions of evergreen trees, gift giving, caroling, yule logs and feasts all had their origins in non-Christian winter celebrations of light and fertility.
Even in the days of the Dickens Christmas, gifts were seldom given. People attended family dinners and neighbors would sing songs of the Savior's birth and share treats and goodies. These traditions were gradually assimilated into the American culture from the immigrants of the late 1800th century.
I remember my grandparents of others of the first half of the 20th century only expecting one or two small gifts as children, a display of love and appreciation, not a gluttony of goodies.
But the last 50 years has seen an ever greater push toward material giving and mountains of gifts. Now parents feel guilty if they haven't spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on each child and many children feel cheated if they don't receive what they have been promised on TV. It is a time to get something for nothing, a season of selfishness.
It doesn't matter whether it started with greedy retailers, politically correct gurus or international inclusionists, the Spirit of the Season has been choked for decades.
There is a movement growing to limit purchased gifts of a few to children and adults should exchange home made gifts or services. The savings from this frugality should then be shared with those less fortunate. This is going to be a hard sell because of the tremendous economic impact it would have on retailers in the United States.
I think that we need to find ways to think of others, rather than ourselves, share love and good will rather than presents and cards. Becoming angry with a person who wishes to not offend another is really the unchristian act. If Christians can not motivate others to join them because of the joy and peace they derive from living the truth, then boycotts, insults and retaliation will never work either.
Rather than using money, power and force, let us use the tools that Jesus gave us of love, compassion and faith to change the world.
