Bah Humbug: Where's the Christmas Spirit?

By Thaddeus Williams, Missions and Community Engagement Pastor

 

I must confess something. Christmas is my least favorite time of the year. With all the stress and anxiety that comes with shopping, traveling, and family drama... Bah humbug, I say! Now I might just be an Ebenezer Scrooge, but I ask you, how often do you think about Christ during the Christmas season? Oh sure, you pass by the occasional nativity scene (which should not include the wisemen because they actually did not visit Jesus until about three years after His birth... and another thing, Jesus wasn’t even born during December... but I digress). Or you are reminded of the reason for the season when you attend a Christmas Eve service. But outside of that, how often do you really think about Christ during Christmas?

 

If we are honest, I think the answer to that question for most of us is not very often. And who could blame you? With the hustle and bustle, all the cooking and decorating that needs to be done, the presents that need to be purchased and wrapped. Indeed, consumerism has warped the true meaning of Christmas and almost every other major holiday we celebrate in America. Jesus has been replaced by Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

 

Another thing that really grinds my gears about Christmas is that it lends itself to event-driven generosity. People tend to be much more generous around the Christmas season, which probably has a lot to do with trying to squeeze in as many tax deductions as possible before year-end... ah, my inner Scrooge is showing itself again. But what about the rest of the year? Sorry ‘bout ya! Here’s what I’m getting at, we shouldn’t be thankful only during Thanksgiving, and we shouldn’t be generous only during Christmas. Both gratitude and generosity are marks of living a God-centered life that should be lived out year-round, not simply one-off events. It is about living on mission.

 

Now, do I want to deprive you and your children of the joy and wonder of Christmas? Absolutely not! Who doesn’t like waking up on Christmas morning to see the smiles on kids’ faces as they look under the tree to find what Santa brought? So what is the solution? How do we get away from the consumerism that has plagued the Western church for years? I believe we need to reconnect with the Spirit. Not just the spirit of Christmas. I’m talking about the Holy Spirit. Just as we forget the work of the Spirit in the birth of Jesus, we often forget about the Holy Spirit when it comes to daily walk with Christ. To live a God-centered life is to live a Spirit-filled life. We must rely upon the Holy Spirit daily to guide and direct us. After all, that is why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit! This Christmas, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to point you to a person or family in need and then show them the love of Christ through generosity. Teach your child about the true meaning of Christmas by having them give up one of their gifts so that another child in our community will have something for Christmas. Then share with them about the greatest gift ever given! This year, let’s keep Jesus as the reason for the season. And don’t let it stop there!