Why the December to Remember Sales Event is Killing Tiny Tim

So every year I read a blog or an essay or a column or an essayical column about how Christmas is lost, dead, misguided, commercial, co-opted, disregarded, etc. I used to scoff at any writings like that, because I was busy losing, killing, deceiving, commercializing, stealing and ignoring Christmas myself for so long. But I think as I've had a heart more willing to look deeper this year, I've been stunned by what I've seen as I've tried to take account of this season.

The worst is the meaning of Christmas. It's one thing that the idea of Christmas has fairly well been converted from the birth of Jesus to the birth of the Wii, but it's one thing altogether to see the heart behind this new brand of Christmas. More often than not, advertisements play to the selfish side of humanity. "Get your shopping out of the way early", "Don't spend more than you have to this year", "Tell her you love her with diamonds", "Buy a Lexus to smooth over your marriage troubles", "Don't risk being in trouble with your gift this holiday season", and so on. I may have made up the Lexus advertisement, but you know in real life, I'm more right than wrong.

I just find it astounding that not only has the holiday been commercialized to death, but now the essence of what it became is being taken by an even deeper sense of self-centeredness. The culture around me at least seems more bored with Christmas than ever before, and shopping for presents seems more like an obligation (re: chore) than a privilege (re: pleasure) to give to a friend or loved one. I see Christians struggling with trying to reclaim their holiday, struggling to interject a kind act or two into 4 feet of freshly powdered Christmas Apathy. To quote Darrell Hammond imitating Phil Donahue, "Who is this Jesus?" indeed. Not only is Jesus lost, but our very act of giving has been lost. I think that's why so many people have this ideal to swear off presents... but you know... and I know... that you'll be buying presents. Sucker.

I guess this is the part of my story where I present a plan of action or an idea for hope or something. I don't have it. But I have been more aware of the hurt around me this year than ever before, and I think it's a start. My friend Jordan has been brainstorming for a while about how to bring some real kindness and cheer into his friend's lives this season, and it's inspired me to do the same, albeit with far less creativity than him. The best idea I have for myself is to look at my shopping this year a little less like I'm just checking off boxes of who to shop for, and more as an act of kindness. So I guess that means if I'm truly doing that, my uncle doesn't get a sweater this year. Because I get him that every year. Because that's what people buy their uncles.

Maybe try one act of kindness and see where that takes us. Hey, look what it did for Scrooge. It turned him from a mean, crotchety old man into a stuttering, babbling ball of joy who couldn't wait to fetch dead birds from racks all over London. And that was just for starters...