Sunday, December 15, 2013
When did Christmas become a source of such controversy? There are arguments that Christmas is too commercialized. People complain that the message of the birth of Christ is lost in observance of modern day Christmas and that it has become the territory of retailers rather than the Christian community. If we strip back the layers that have grown over and around the most popular holiday on our calendar, what is it, really?
Even the youngest of children, Christian or not, can tell you who Santa Claus is and that he brings gifts to children all over the world who have been good. The image of Santa has a jolly old man with a beard flying around the world in a sleigh is relatively recent dating back only to the late 19th century. Prior to that, several European cultures celebrated gift-giving saints, some named Nicholas. The earliest of these saints, originating in the 4th century AD, was canonized for giving to the poor. Our modern Santa is a compilation of these historic and legendary figures. Many of the ancillary elements of the various legends have been overlooked. The gift-giving is the common thread that brings Santa and his ancient counterparts together. Our modern Santa is featured in advertisements for toys, cars, electronics and is "present" in every American mall from Thanksgiving to the 25th itself. Santa today is viewed as a poster-child for modern day consumerism.
The biblical origins for Christmas, or the birth of Christ Jesus, date back well beyond the earliest sainted figures in human history. Jesus make his physical appearance in the first four books of the New Testament written in the first and second centuries AD. The promise of the Messiah, which is the Hebrew translation of the Greek Christo or Christ, is mentioned the earliest writings of human history. The first book of the Old Testament, Genesis, addresses the origins of human life as we know it and millennia before the birth of Christ. Throughout the books of the Old Testament, the coming of the Messiah is mentioned many times. God promises redemption from the sins and reconciliation with the world through a personified symbol of his love and forgiveness. When He finally comes, Christ is the ultimate "gift" God can bestow upon his creation. "For God so loved the world, that he GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Gift-giving is not the creation of human beings. The most important gift ever given came from God himself in the form of the Son of Man, sacrificed for the ultimate gift of everlasting life for believers. I believe that any gift given at Christmas, whether made in the name of Jesus, Santa Claus, parental love, or coerced by commercial consumerism can only be a reflection of God's love. In my experience, no one gives gifts to people they hate. The worst of humanity, whether they recognize it or not, will give gifts large and small, material and emotional, as a reflection of love. All love comes from God.
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Thanks Keith. This is an interesting post. Your conclusion, the final three sentences, are clear and provocative. I tend to be one that questions the consumerism of Christmas, but your conclusion forces me to question my own opinions. You're right; all gifts are given as a token of love, appreciation, or gratitude. As hectic as the holidays become for us, because of the pressure to find gifts for those we love, the underlying principle is one of giving, which is definitely something to celebrate. My holidays will be better because you pointed that out. Seriously. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, getting to this conclusion was a bit bumpy for me. Other than a few technical mistakes ("The image of Santa has" and "Jesus make his physical appearance), your individual sentences are strong and well written. I find the overall organization of the piece to be less-than-clear. You use a couple different narrative perspectives. You write in the first, second, and third person perspective. Narrative consistency is an important part of clarity. I am unsure why you began your post with such an explicit third person perspective and then finished with a first person conclusion. I really liked the second paragraph, in which you chronicle the history of Santa - although in the future, please be sure to cite your sources. However, I struggle with your third paragraph. This paragraph feels more like a sermon on Christian history than part of an argument about the modern nature of Christmas. I feel like you could have condensed the lesson about Christianity - without omitting it - and emphasized more the relationship between the gift of Christ and the gifts we give at Christmas.