Christmas – What’s it about?
For many, Christmas is charged with ambivalence. Trying to buy gifts with meager resources; navigating through crowded malls; social events squeezed into a crowded calendar, and the list goes on.
Personally, Christmas is one of my cherished childhood memories. I remember the excitement of my four siblings and myself making Christmas breakfast for my dad and mom at 4am Christmas morning. Their annoyance of being awakened so early was soon dispelled when they realized the intent of their children. I must add, we did go back to bed with the instruction that we could resume the task at 7am. I loved our family gatherings. There was rarely fewer than 15 uncles, aunts, and cousins at the Christmas dinner table. Our family experience was common in our small town and farming community.
Yes, I do have fond memories that might be embellished with time. However, there are some memories that are worth repeating. In fact, those memories are part of the core values that my parents imparted. This Christmas I would like to give them to you as a gift.
- Relationships are more important than riches. You can’t buy relationships, you build them. Consumerism wants me to believe that it’s the ideal gift that matters. The giving of ourselves involves our time, our willingness to care, and our ability to enter the world of another person’s responsibility. Our Christmas was a celebration of a community of care.
- Love with a little is more precious than abundance with debt. The four-year-old draws a picture, hands it over to you, and then says, “I love you!” That picture is valuable, not because of its artistic quality, but because it represents the love of the child that drew it. The respect that you give a person is of much greater value than the gift.
- Look for simple ways to build family tradition. My wife made a jello salad that became a family tradition. Read the Biblical narrative of the first Christmas, recount previous Christmas highlights, sing some carols, give to a family in need, and the list goes on.
The other night Global News at 6 interviewed people asking them if the present economic climate would affect their Christmas shopping. Most of those interviewed indicated that they were downsizing their giving due to financial restraints. Limited resource helps us evaluate our giving. Are we giving out of duty or do we genuinely care. Duty usually has a thread of resentment. Care gives through an envelope of love. The envelope is what touches other person’s heart, not what is in it.
Giving was central to the first Christmas. The God of love wanted us to have the gift of eternal life. He gave His Son so that we could have that gift. His Son was born in a barn, not a palace. He grew up in the home of a carpenter not the estate of a great statesman. At 33 He was falsely accused and sentenced to the cruel death of crucifixion. In His death He took upon Himself the judgement for all our wrongdoing. Through his birth, death, and resurrection He offers to us the gift of eternal life. That is a Christmas gift that I receive by faith. Accept His gift and I’ll see you at the top.
Duane Harder
