I can still hear my grandmother’s dentures clicking as she told and retold bedtime stories. Sitting on the edge of the bed, my mother would follow suit; one tradition bearer following another. Times have changed. There doesn’t seem to be as many story tellers as there once were. And the advent of modern entertainment has rendered this kind of story much less appealing to children and adults alike. There was a time that even when you couldn’t name the apostles you were likely able to name the Seven Dwarfs. The time has come when most can name neither. For things to catch our attention the need to cost. And the more they cost, the better they are, so we think. Even Harry Potter, with his magic wand, wasn’t able to change that. In spite of the high cost of living, it has been reported that Americans will spend $942 billion on Christmas this season; not bad for a country that’s broke, wouldn’t you say?
Tomorrow is “Black Friday.” Maybe the Church should change the name of “Good Friday” to “Black Friday” since it gets a whole lot more attention. This is the day when much of that nine hundred and forty billion gets spent. I can’t remember collecting more than a couple hundred bucks on any “Good Friday.” To their credit, the shoppers will likely support the “red kettle” bell ringers generously with lots of change. With the help of the Salvation Army and others, maybe, just maybe, we will be able to help a few of the thousands of people in our area that are struggling to make ends meet. I think this is a gift closer to the meaning of Christmas than a new Nintendo.
This year, Deb and I will be celebrating Christmas in a much simpler way. We will be making donations to local non-profits in the names of our family members. And if you’re fortunate enough to see your grandchildren this Christ-mas, try sitting down with them and tell them a bit about the greatest story ever told.
As we ready ourselves for Christmas, let us think on how we might return our homes and our spirits to the solemnity befitting the event which began it all; the birth of Jesus. Jesus did not come to save us from Hamas or the Iranians or even the North Koreans or the Russians…He came to save us from US. Jesus came to call us to more honest lives in realizing our dependence on Him and Him alone. That is what makes a Merry Christ-mas.
“…He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sign, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a Blessed and Holy Night.
If you are making a donation to the church, designated to CAM (Christian Action Ministries) in honor or in memory of someone, we will have gift card acknowledgements available to send to the honoree.
