The Struggle ........
The holiday shopping season has begun.
Personally, I celebrate Christmas .... as in the birth of Christ. You know .... shepherds in their fields, bright star in the sky, three wise men.
Not the retail Christmas that celebrates the birth of Master Card. Not the consumers wedged as tight as sardines .... trying to be the first one in the door on now, Thursday night. Not the bright glow of a 60" flat screen television..... on sale for the first 100 customers for $299. Not the products that Gates and Jobs created. (Hey!! Those are the only two wise men I could come up with!!! Lord knows, none are living in Washington, DC!)
I hate retail Christmas.
I hate the fact that stabbings happen in mall parking lots.
I hate the fact that fights break out over PS4's in crowded big-box store aisles.
I hate the fact that the AVERAGE American will spend $700 on Christmas this year...... and 25% of our children receive some sort of food assistance from the government.
I hate that all of this happens in the name of Christmas ............. and little happens in the name of Christ.
Wendell Berry was on Moyers and Company on PBS. Hopefully, I will come close to quoting him. He was talking about making a living off a small family farm.
And he said .... It's about making a living, not a killing. Making a living is about having enough.
Having enough.
And in the season of Must-Have-Gifts, the hot new trends, the latest and greatest things ever made (until next year!) ......... we forget what having enough is.
Having enough .... is a roof over my head, a place to warm my hands and feet and a full stomach.
It is a cozy blanket to sleep under .... a bright star to light up the dark winter sky ..... and a warm egg for my breakfast.
For me, having enough at Christmas means that my soul will be filled ....... not the shopping bags.
Personally, I celebrate Christmas .... as in the birth of Christ. You know .... shepherds in their fields, bright star in the sky, three wise men.
Not the retail Christmas that celebrates the birth of Master Card. Not the consumers wedged as tight as sardines .... trying to be the first one in the door on now, Thursday night. Not the bright glow of a 60" flat screen television..... on sale for the first 100 customers for $299. Not the products that Gates and Jobs created. (Hey!! Those are the only two wise men I could come up with!!! Lord knows, none are living in Washington, DC!)
I hate retail Christmas.
I hate the fact that stabbings happen in mall parking lots.
I hate the fact that fights break out over PS4's in crowded big-box store aisles.
I hate the fact that the AVERAGE American will spend $700 on Christmas this year...... and 25% of our children receive some sort of food assistance from the government.
I hate that all of this happens in the name of Christmas ............. and little happens in the name of Christ.
Wendell Berry was on Moyers and Company on PBS. Hopefully, I will come close to quoting him. He was talking about making a living off a small family farm.
And he said .... It's about making a living, not a killing. Making a living is about having enough.
Having enough.
And in the season of Must-Have-Gifts, the hot new trends, the latest and greatest things ever made (until next year!) ......... we forget what having enough is.
Having enough .... is a roof over my head, a place to warm my hands and feet and a full stomach.
It is a cozy blanket to sleep under .... a bright star to light up the dark winter sky ..... and a warm egg for my breakfast.
For me, having enough at Christmas means that my soul will be filled ....... not the shopping bags.
Comments