A Just Christmas? Or Just Seasonal Consumerism?
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!!" Gospel of St. Luke
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"
In the delightful Dr Suess story the Grinch who loathed Christmas did his best to sabotage the event. Yet, in spite of his best efforts, he discovered that the Spirit of Christmas transcended materialism, as the people of Whoville joyfully celebrated in spite of the missing trappings normally regarded as essential for the celebration.
In 2022 we live in an age where the Christ of Christmas is rapidly being replaced by rampant consumerism, where canned carols echo eerily out of place as we move through malls enticing us with endless “two for the price of one” bargains.
Simultaneously our daily local and global news highlights the many concerns facing us today such as the heart-breaking effects of global warming and absolute poverty on so many vulnerable people and communities. What, you may ask, do these issues have to do with Christmas? Satish Kumar would argue that there is close connection between the way Christmas is celebrated and global warming.
Whatever we consume - food, clothes, housing, agriculture, transportation, technology, holidays – almost all of our consumption is dependent on the continuous use of fossil fuels. Higher living standards, higher economic growth and higher consumption have been, and still continue to be, the largely unchallenged aspiration of all nations, all governments and all industrial societies. How might we begin to re shape our buying habits but still have the delight of sharing gifts with each other?
Perhaps we might consider buying a little less and sharing more? Gifting more time with each other – sharing and caring more for those outside our immediate circle of family and friends, and offering alternative gifts that spread widely the joy of celebrating Christ’s birth.
A Christmas candle is a lovely thing,
it makes no noise at all.
While softly gives itself away;
while quite unselfish, it grows small.
A Prayer for Christmas
Loving God, we know that the spirit of Christmas does not come from a store.
That Christmas indeed is so much more. Just as we know that Christ cannot be confined within a baby in a manger, neither can we restrict our thinking to tinsel and turkey.
Help us to remember that you gave us your only son that we might learn from his earthly example of simplicity of living. unconditional loving and acceptance, and courage in the face of injustice.
May we endeavour to follow His lead by seeking sufficiency rather than wealth and simplicity of living, rather than excessive surplus that is not shared, And above all give us strength and courage to work towards a just world where all may have equality of opportunity and none are left out.
We ask this in the name of Christ who shows us by example, the true meaning of Christmas.
Amen.
By Rev. Chris Frazer, Deacon for Social Justice
