I've been thinking a lot over the last week or so, as I am sure my other collegues have, about Advent. Advent is the season in which we prepare for, and joyfully anticipate Christ's birth within us. Each year as we think about Advent at church we try to remind ourselves and the masses not to become sucked into the trappings of shopping and wrapping and decking the halls, but to slow down and center our hearts and minds on the coming of Christ.
I have read several articles, blogs, and tweets about the downfall of America's economy and the disgust regarding Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. I agree that the hype of the shopping season is overwhelming, especially since we practically skip over giving thanks these days and move straight from Halloween costumes to Santa costumes. I could stand in the pulpit and focus on these things. Yes, it is true that there are starving children all across the world that could use the money we spend on gifts and that is horrific. Yes, it is true that consumerism runs rampant and that is not the point of Christmas at all! However, as the pastor of a small congregation who is providing for my household (thanks in part to the terrible economy and job market) I confess that I absolutely DID go out shopping on Black Friday because I could not afford to pay full price for Christmas gifts this year! And while gifts are not the point of Christmas, showing love to my family and friends in tangible ways is a special moment and tradition for me. And I am not ashamed of that!
Then of course there is the arguement that comes up each year regarding saying "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas." I worked in retail for four years and I grew quite accustomed to saying "Happy Holidays." I have no qualms with this because in saying this phrase, Christmas is included! Why shouldn't we be sensitive to other faith traditions that celebrate holidays at this time? Isn't that the point of living in a country that 'welcomes' religious freedom? I don't find it insensitive to my own faith tradition to say this. I would argue that this phrase does not take the Christ out of Christmas because in fact, Jesus would probably be more than tolerant of, dare I say accepting of the celebration of various religious traditions this time of year. After all, he was Jewish!
I guess my question is, where is the balance? How can we keep our selves from swinging the pendulum from one extreme to the other, all out consumerism vs. total Christian piety? How do we somehow fight the consumerism economy, yet maintain our cultural traditions... and still keep Jesus at the center of our holiday festivities? Here are just a few ideas that have been brewing in my mind. One, shop local as much as you can this year for Christmas gifts. Or, consider giving money in honor of someone to the organization of your choice, buy fair trade items or join with your friends and family and shop for an angel tree. For some of us, being faithful stewards of the gracious gifts God has given to us simply means that we cut back on the lavishness of our gift giving to those we care for and demonstrate our love in other ways.
As for keeping Christmas Christ centered, this takes more intentionality. In order to occupy Advent, we need to slow down during this season not speed up. This is easier said than done, is it not? I'm not saying you should boycott all Christmas parties or vow not to travel this year, but rather spend some intentional time reflecting on the hope that the birth of Christ brings into our world! Maybe this means you start an advent wreath tradition in your own home or dedicate time each day to prayer. Maybe this means that as you put up your Christmas tree you thank God for something with each ornament you hang. As you wrap those gifts consider why the shepherds came to Jesus' side, and why the wisemen brought gifts to him. The answer I think you will find is two-fold. Love, love for the child there in the manger and love for the God who loved us so much that he sent his only son. And second, Hope, in Jesus we catch a glimpse of hope that the world can and will be changed.
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