Christmas used to be about something so much more than what it is now. Every time I turn on the television, go try to watch something on YouTube, check my email, even check my actual mail, all it is is advertisements for sales and shopping sprees, and I can't help but sit back and wonder where the break is in our societal moral fabric that allows this to happen.
The problem stems from the "reason for the season" (if you'll pardon the cliche), or rather, a lack thereof. As our culture becomes more and more secularized, we've forgotten what Christmas was originally intended to celebrate. It used to be the case that Christmas was a time designated to give to other people, whether that was gifts or time or labor or anything; and also to celebrate the birth of Christ. Nowadays, the reason for the season has become buying. We don't really care who it's going to or what it is, we just buy things. I've actually heard people getting frustrated because they feel like they have to work more hours in order to pay for the gifts they have to buy for their friends and family.
Every year since my family has moved to Texas, we have had a White Elephant exchange with my aunt and uncle that live a half hour north of us. Most often, these gifts end up forgotten somewhere under a bed or in a drawer (unless it bears the visage of our good friend Alexander Hamilton). The point of the evening is not the gifts. Both families make food and we usually make the whole thing last about three hours or so just sitting around watching football, eating, laughing, sharing stories, etc. These are the little things that old people like to tell us matter so much—the times where we sit around and give each other the gift of time and attention, which is all we are really after in the end.
So let's give this year. Whether you're a Christian or not, it's good to give, no? Christians are obligated to be generous with what God gives them, but even non-Christians can agree that benevolence is a positive trait in a human being. Let's stop buying things for people that you know they won't use or appreciate and instead do something for them. Stop by and spend time with your friend. Bring a six-pack and a movie. Send a hand-written letter to a relative that lives far away and maybe couldn't make it to the family Christmas celebration this year. Let them know how much you missed them. If you still have grass where you live, go mow the old lady's lawn down the street free of charge. If you absolutely have to give a gift, give the gift that keeps on giving: a good book. Select it just for the person that you're buying it for. Find things to do for other people that don't involve going out and spending exorbitant amounts of money on things instead of investing in people.
Christ gave everything for humanity. He died a horrible death so that we might be saved if we decided to accept Him. Let's celebrate His birth the right way.
