The Christmas Wars

I tried last holiday season to write a thought or two about the supposed "war on Christmas" going on in the US. Yes, I think it's a supposed war.

But this year, Jim Wallis makes the case much better than me. You can read his entire blog about this here, but I wanted to share a few quotes and thoughts from his post.

Making sure that shopping malls and stores greet their customers with “Merry
Christmas” is entirely irrelevant to the meaning of the Incarnation. In reality
it is the consumer frenzy of Christmas shopping that is the real affront and
threat to the season.

Last year, Americans spent $450 billion on
Christmas. Clean water for the whole world, including every poor person on the
planet, would cost about $20 billion. Let’s just call that what it is: A
material blasphemy of the Christmas season.

Yes, yes, and yes! We cannot take a symbol, whether that's a tree, a gift, a slogan, a greeting, whatever, and then compare it somehow to being "the meaning of the season." As Wallis goes on to say, is Jesus humbled when he walks into a store and sees how the "merry Christmas" sign in the window points people to him? Who has ever come to Christ from a "merry Christmas" sign? From a public nativity?

Holiday means holy day...is that really that bad?

Why do we spend so much time on the symbols of Christmas, and neglect imitating the incarnational presence of Jesus in our world? I have rarely (I don't remember ever) trying to speak on behalf of Jesus in this blog, but can I say that I don't think he cares one bit about whether my Best Buy has "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" in the window?

The true reality is that Jesus came to earth and lived among a poor and oppressed people, in order to redeem their lives to the fullness God originally intended. As Wallis says, to restore right relationship between God and between each other. Let's focus some energy on that goal this Christmas. Let's really seek to have "peace on earth and goodwill among men."

I hope you'll click the link and read Wallis' post. And you'll go to www.worldvisiongifts.org and make a meaningful gift this Christmas. Or holiday season.

I'm okay with either one.

I'm trying out the Facebook Causes for my birthday

Here's the link:

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/birthdays/368221?bws=sl

Thanks!

Humility required...

So much has happened recently, it's hard to know where to begin. For most of the USAmerican world, we've been focused--rightly so--on the devastation in Haiti. Americans by and large are such caring people. We're ready to jump in and help just about anyone. That's a good thing.

I started a new job last week as Executive Director of World Vision North Texas. World Vision is an amazing organization, confronting the root causes of poverty and injustice, especially as they impact children. WV has been on the ground in Haiti from before the quake, and many of you have supported their ministry to those at-risk kids and families displaced by such destruction.

These two events to me though have more in common than just my new employer. They outline how incredibly important it is to be humble. This is something that we USAmericans struggle with.

We are the biggest and the best. And especially the smartest. And even more especially the closest to God.

Not.

I have been humbled over the past few years as I have been more and more exposed to other cultures, to other socio-economic strata, to issues that affect people in ways my suburbasexualness has a hard time comprehending.

I have been humbled by people I have met, who have made do for years on what I blow through in a month. People who have only 1 Bible, if they are lucky, and they know it better than me.

I have been humbled by their thoughts on God, politics, ministry, and futbol (yes, I spelled that correctly).

I have often said that when I was 22, I had 4, 083 things that I KNEW to be either black or white, either true or false. Now, at 43, I have 3 or 4. At most. Humility means that we be willing to live life knowing that we do not have all the answers, that our way is not necessarily the best way or right way. Humility honors those that might think differently and genuinely considers what others are thinking and feeling, without immediately dismissing them.

Humility considers others as more important than selves.

I think I've read that somewhere.