When did Christmas become so complicated? I was preparing cards to send Holiday Greetings instead of Christmas Greetings because it is politically correct. God Forbid if I send something as a friendly message which may possibly offend someone. Please forgive the sarcasm but imagine the complications I could create by sending a greeting of Merry Christmas to someone who only celebrates Hanukkah or doesn’t celebrate the season at all, or perhaps they only celebrate Kwanzaa. Then I thought, perhaps it is safer not to send any greeting cards at all this year. However, simply ignoring the tradition of cards and gifts at holiday time creates a completely different set of potential offenses.
In my attempt to decide on a politically appropriate greeting card I looked over the cards I had already received. The cards said things like Happy Holiday Season, Enjoy the Season, and there was one that simply stated To You from Us. Suddenly I felt the Christmas spirit slipping away. Is it possible that in the quest to accommodate the masses, we have allowed the meaning of Christmas holiday to be diminished altogether?
In previous years, I would receive Happy Hanukkah cards from my Jewish friends and, although I am Christian, the card represented a gesture of thoughtfulness from a friend who wanted to send friendly greetings on a day that was important to her and her family. I was not offended at all when I received the card. Yet, today a church can be fined by the city for having a nativity scene on the front lawn simply because one person is offended by the religious significance. Of course this makes no sense to me because a church is the epitome of religious significance.
In truth, no matter what our personal beliefs are, this holiday is about religious worship. It is about God and Jesus and it is a holiday that represents love. There are religious symbols seen everywhere at this time of year but an object is only meaningful if there is an emotional attachment to it. A Nativity scene on a church lawn only has meaning for the Christian faith. To all others it should be viewed only a symbol of the season. The prophet Paul said that words without meaning are only noise. I would add that any object without an emotional attachment is not a symbol, it is only an object.
1 Corinthians 13:
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, then I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Ironically, the same people who would be offended by the words Merry Christmas on a Christmas card are not objecting to the other symbols of Christian faith. One card that said merely Greetings for the Season had a candy cane with it. Candy canes are designed in the shape of a shepherd’s staff to represent the shepherds guarding sheep on the night that Jesus was born. It’s red and white colors represent both the blood and the purity of Christ. A card that said ‘Holiday Greetings as we enter 2012’ was adorned with a Christmas wreath. Yet, the Christmas wreath is evergreen and designed into a circle to represent the gift eternal life that Jesus brought to us through his birth, death, and resurrection. A few other cards had a Christmas tree. The Christmas tree is also an evergreen tree to represent eternal life and the symbolism of cutting it down only to stand it up again represents the death and resurrection of Jesus. The star we place at the top of the tree represents the star that guided the three Kings to the stable. Many people who want to remove themselves from Christian traditions are known to participate in the act of exchanging gifts. Yet the tradition of giving gifts represents the gifts given to Jesus by the three kings who came to worship him at his birth. Apparently, people are either unaware or they have become selective about what they find offensive which substantiates my statement that if there is no emotional attachment then the objects are simply decoration.
I realized that this is a season to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the very purpose of Jesus coming to earth, dying, and his resurrection is the ultimate sacrifice of Love. Christians should celebrate this as a season of God’s love and if one is not a believer in God, then celebrate love for the sake of love itself and stop complaining. I can’t help but wonder how a season of love could possibly offend anyone. So, I sat down and wrote Christmas cards, not holiday cards, because I am not celebrating a season or a generic holiday. I am celebrating Christmas, a time to worship God and Jesus, a special time of the year to honor a true spirit of love. As I addressed my Christmas cards, that were actually titled Happy Holidays, I signed each of them Merry Christmas with Love.
Merry Christmas With Love.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Great Purse Debate.
Women take a lot of good natured teasing about their purses. There are some men who wonder why we need one at all. My friend's husband and I were talking recently about this issue and he was boasting that men travel light. "Men can fit things in a couple of pockets and don't need purses." He said.
I looked down at his cargo pants that had six or seven very large pockets, and all were full. On the wall was his fishing vest with pockets that carried more than my handbag could accommodate. In the den sat a briefcase and a small satchel which he carries to work with him every day. Nodding to the satchel I asked, "Isn't that a murse?" He vehemently denied it and said it was a small satchel for work to carry a few items like tissues, hand sanitizer, checkbook, business cards, ipad etc. His wallet and keys are tucked safely in his pocket.
I nodded my head and silently itemized the contents of my handbag. Wallet, keys, comb, tissues, hand sanitizer, lip gloss, checkbook, phone, business cards and if I had an Ipad it would be in there too.
I just nodded my head and said "Oh." There wasn't anything else to be said and it wasn't the appropriate time for a debate. What is more important is that I know he reads this blog.
I looked down at his cargo pants that had six or seven very large pockets, and all were full. On the wall was his fishing vest with pockets that carried more than my handbag could accommodate. In the den sat a briefcase and a small satchel which he carries to work with him every day. Nodding to the satchel I asked, "Isn't that a murse?" He vehemently denied it and said it was a small satchel for work to carry a few items like tissues, hand sanitizer, checkbook, business cards, ipad etc. His wallet and keys are tucked safely in his pocket.
I nodded my head and silently itemized the contents of my handbag. Wallet, keys, comb, tissues, hand sanitizer, lip gloss, checkbook, phone, business cards and if I had an Ipad it would be in there too.
I just nodded my head and said "Oh." There wasn't anything else to be said and it wasn't the appropriate time for a debate. What is more important is that I know he reads this blog.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Tis The Season To Be....
I have a love/hate relationship with the Christmas holiday season. Although fond memories are evoked by the smell of pine and cinnamon, the holiday stress usually makes me want to skip Christmas and take a tropical vacation.
One of the setbacks I consistently face is trying to make time for errands with a schedule that is already stretched thin. I need some advance preparation but the challenge is that this year’s Christmas itinerary has changed several times already. Of course, this is normal and I anticipate several additional schedule changes will occur before the holiday arrives. Thanks to Murphy’s Law, most of these changes will be on Christmas Eve after the stores are closed.
Tis the season…
People tend to create their own drama during this season. There are the people who constantly whine about the holiday not going as planned and those who are so focused on what they don’t have that they fail to see the blessings in their own lives. What I don’t understand is how a season that is supposed to be about love and giving has become a time of stress. At time I am tempted to tell everyone that I am going away and not to include me in the Christmas plans. A quiet day with a turkey sandwich, hot cocoa, and a good book while my dogs lay at my feet would be enough to satisfy my holiday spirit.
The reality of it is that most of us won’t remember all of the dinner details a few years from now. What we will remember is how that day made us feel. For years I took a great amount of time each Christmas to plan on the perfect table setting, the perfect dinner, the perfect gifts, great activities, and an immaculate home. However, the people at my holiday table probably won't remember a tablecloth that I spent so much time searching for, that perfect turkey, or the cranberry sauce served in hollowed out orange peels with a hint of orange. However, people always remember the feelings, the laughter, the love, and the friendship that is shared on that day.
Christmas will come whether I am ready or not and the tone of the holiday depends on how I respond to it. I prefer some type of schedule so I can be prepared but the success of the holiday is actually about not having a rigid schedule. Sometimes the schedule needs to be renegotiated to meet the needs of the crowd. I have no problem celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve if it is more convenient. Nor do I complain about serving duck instead of turkey. All I ask is for is just enough advance notice so I can have all of the ingredients handy because the true recipe for Christmas is mixing love and laughter together to create a feeling. The decorations are only a flavor enhancer similar to how salt enhances the flavors in a cake recipe. Tinsel makes things look nice but it isn’t the essence of the holiday itself.
As I grow older I have decided that instead of participating in an act of self induced stress, it is far better to break away from the expectations of the holiday season. Perhaps that will mean celebrating on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas day or serving dinner on disposable plates instead of my best dishes. I prefer to worry more about creating the perfect feeling and worry less about creating the perfect table. Christmas is all about how we respond to the season. This is supposed to be a season that is about love and giving to others. The objective should be to create a day that ends with a feeling that will warm the heart each time we revisit the memories of the day.
One of the setbacks I consistently face is trying to make time for errands with a schedule that is already stretched thin. I need some advance preparation but the challenge is that this year’s Christmas itinerary has changed several times already. Of course, this is normal and I anticipate several additional schedule changes will occur before the holiday arrives. Thanks to Murphy’s Law, most of these changes will be on Christmas Eve after the stores are closed.
Tis the season…
People tend to create their own drama during this season. There are the people who constantly whine about the holiday not going as planned and those who are so focused on what they don’t have that they fail to see the blessings in their own lives. What I don’t understand is how a season that is supposed to be about love and giving has become a time of stress. At time I am tempted to tell everyone that I am going away and not to include me in the Christmas plans. A quiet day with a turkey sandwich, hot cocoa, and a good book while my dogs lay at my feet would be enough to satisfy my holiday spirit.
The reality of it is that most of us won’t remember all of the dinner details a few years from now. What we will remember is how that day made us feel. For years I took a great amount of time each Christmas to plan on the perfect table setting, the perfect dinner, the perfect gifts, great activities, and an immaculate home. However, the people at my holiday table probably won't remember a tablecloth that I spent so much time searching for, that perfect turkey, or the cranberry sauce served in hollowed out orange peels with a hint of orange. However, people always remember the feelings, the laughter, the love, and the friendship that is shared on that day.
Christmas will come whether I am ready or not and the tone of the holiday depends on how I respond to it. I prefer some type of schedule so I can be prepared but the success of the holiday is actually about not having a rigid schedule. Sometimes the schedule needs to be renegotiated to meet the needs of the crowd. I have no problem celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve if it is more convenient. Nor do I complain about serving duck instead of turkey. All I ask is for is just enough advance notice so I can have all of the ingredients handy because the true recipe for Christmas is mixing love and laughter together to create a feeling. The decorations are only a flavor enhancer similar to how salt enhances the flavors in a cake recipe. Tinsel makes things look nice but it isn’t the essence of the holiday itself.
As I grow older I have decided that instead of participating in an act of self induced stress, it is far better to break away from the expectations of the holiday season. Perhaps that will mean celebrating on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas day or serving dinner on disposable plates instead of my best dishes. I prefer to worry more about creating the perfect feeling and worry less about creating the perfect table. Christmas is all about how we respond to the season. This is supposed to be a season that is about love and giving to others. The objective should be to create a day that ends with a feeling that will warm the heart each time we revisit the memories of the day.
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