Opening Thoughts on the Christmas Season

I just finished a book entitled “Christmas is Not Your Birthday.” The book was written by the Reverend Mike Slaughter.

The Reverend Slaughter is a United Methodist minister who serves as pastor of Ginghamsburg Church in Ginghamsburg, Ohio a suburb of Dayton. One of the pivotal events of his life was a visit that he made to Africa on a mission trip.

After spending time in the refugee camps of the Sudan, Slaughter challenged his congregation to spend less at Christmas on gifts and other holiday activities and to give some of the funds they would have otherwise spent on Christmas in support of the relief effort in Sudan.

Of course the cynic would immediately respond by saying that the good pastor was only urging his parishioners to reduce their Christmas spending in order that they give to the church.

I certainly can see how someone could draw that conclusion. However, I would answer that argument by pointing act that the Reverend Slaughter was asking his congregants not to give to the general operations of the church but rather to a project that served people beyond the church.

What cannot be dismissed is his observation that our celebration of Jesus’ birth often does not reflect the values that Jesus espoused. Rather than an emphasis on the love and grace of Jesus Christ, our celebration of his birth often turns into a celebration of materialism and greed.

I have also become quite baffled by those who go to great lengths to celebrate the birth of Christ but do not pay him any attention at other times of the year.

Needless to say there are those who do commit great acts of generosity at Christmas time. There are at this time of year, food drives, clothing drives and toy drives which seek to provide relief for those in need.

This is certainly admirable but I am left to ask “What are we doing about the needs of these families the other 11 months out of the year?”

While such generosity is certainly in keeping with the teachings of Christ is it not more important that we seek to eliminate the source of the need rather than providing temporary relief?

Those who are the beneficiaries of our generosity at Christmas time also need our attention the rest of the year. Further, it is more important that we devote ourselves to eradicating those systemic conditions which have contributed to the cause of so much need.

Christmas is about Christ and his birth. The upcoming season should not be for us an excuse to dwell in materialistic celebrations but rather it should be seen as a call for us to follow the example and teaching of Christ on a daily bases.

Following Jesus Christ is not a seasonal activity. Rather, it is an act of daily seeking to do his will. Following Jesus Christ is a matter of accepting his love, mercy and grace and walking in his way day by day. It was for these reasons that Christ was born.