Here we are…the Christmas season!!! I look forward to this time of the year every year. I love the music, the lights, the decorations, open houses, Holiday Fest in Jackson, and everything that goes with this season. I love it all. Well…almost everything…
…each year I get worked up about the commercialization of Christmas (click on the "Christmas" category to the right for more Christmas posts). It drives me crazy when family ask me for a Christmas list each year…but I eventually give in to make them happy (feeling guilty the whole time I am writing it out). For the last three years I have written a letter to the editor of our local paper talking about the real meaning of Christmas (I am currently pondering another letter this year). This morning on the local news cast they had a special guest talking about how parents can begin to turn their kids from a "gimme" attitude to a "giving" attitude. At an early age, kids are learning that Christmas is about presents. Sure…they hear the Christmas story. Kids participate and prepare Christmas programs. They help decorate trees and see manger settings. Kids know that there is something special about this season, but behind it all…they are hoping for the "right" present(s).
"Eric…maybe people do have a ‘giving’ attitude and that is why they want to buy presents" Sure I will "buy" that. But what I am alluding to is the reason people buy and give presents. When Christ was born in that tiny manger stall, God gave the world the best present of all – love, forgiveness, salvation. Christmas is about THAT gift and all we do should communicate and proclaim that message.
So…I am not exactly sure where I am going with this, but maybe we should try something. What if we started this Christmas season by sharing Christmas stories on our blogs (or leaving stories in the comment section if you do not have a blog). The stories should not be about a really cool present you received but rather about how the Christmas season/message has touched your life or the life of someone you know – stories about the REAL meaning of Christmas. The idea is that people searching the Internet may stubble across these stories and maybe begin to move from a "gimme" attitude or a "hurry up and find the best bargain" attitude to an attitude of sharing God’s love for all. I don’t know…maybe I am being overly optimistic. Maybe I have no clue what I am talking about. If so…then at least we can have some fun sharing Christmas stories.
So there you have it. I will post my Christmas story soon.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
-edh-
The Heart of a Pastor 
Posting the stories sounds like a good idea to me Eric. I’ll get one up next week after the end of the semester.
sounds like a good idea! I like sharing stories, as you know. I’ll be thinking about it.
Eric,
You hit the nail right on the head. My sister and I have stopped giving each other gifts. I might send along some of the good books we’ve read in the year and a small gift for the kids; but otherwise the real lesson is that we can’t just give stuff if it has no meaning.
My wife is trying really hard to get our kids to see what it’s like to give. Every time they pass a red kettle from the Salvation Army two little hands are given something to put in. She even signed us up to ring the bell one night before Thanksgiving. There’s no doubt that Jesus wants to see us give; the questions that we should be asking are to whom and what should we be giving.
Thanks for the thoughtful post.